Pac-12 Conference

2016 Volleyball Media Guide

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2016 PAC-12 VOLLEYBALL // TEAMS 16 ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS SUN DEVIL FACTS Location: Tempe, Ariz. 85287-2505 Founded/Enrollment: 1885/76,771 Colors: Maroon & Gold Joined Pac-12: 1986 All-Time Record: 659-545 (41 years) Home Court: Wells Fargo Arena (10,734) President: Dr. Michael Crow Faculty Rep: Dr. Gary Grossman Athletic Director: Ray Anderson SWA: Deana Garner-Smith Head Coach: Stevie Mussie (Washington '08) Career Record: First Season ASU Record: 0-0 (1st year) Pac-12 Record: 0-0 (1st year) Office: (480) 965-7178 Fax: (480) 965-5408 Assistant Head Coach: Sanja Tomasevic Assistant Coach: Chris Rose SID: Doug Tammaro Office: (480) 965-6592 Fax: (480) 965-5408 Volleyball SID: Kathryn Roberts E-Mail: kathrynroberts47@asu.edu Office: (480) 965-1237 Press Row Phone: (480) 965-7274 2016 Records: Overall: 19-13 Pac-12: 8-12 (8th) NCAA: 0-1/First Round RECORD HOLDERS KILLS Career: 1871 Christine Garner, 1992-95 Season: 599 Amanda Burbridge, 2000 Match: 39 Amanda Burbridge vs. Washington State (10/20/00) HITTING PERCENTAGE Career: .342 Julia Leddy, 1999-2002 Season: .383 Mandy Stephens, 2003 Match: N/A ASSISTS Career: 5180 Regina Stahl, 1984-87 Season: 1482 Allison Palmer, 2012 Match: 90 Regina Stahl vs. Washington (10/10/87) TOTAL BLOCKS Career: 530 Tina Berg, 1987-90 Season: 260 Tina Berg, 1990 Match: N/A DIGS Career: 2385 Sydney Donahue, 2004-07 Season: 742 Sydney Donahue, 2006 Match: 50 Sydney Donahue vs. LMU (8/26/06) SERVICE ACES Career: 178 Regina Stahl, 1984-87 Season: 65 Regina Stahl, 1984 Match: 9 Regina Stahl vs. New Mexico (9/7/84) NO. NAME POS HT YR EXP HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL (LAST SCHOOL) 1 Courtney Leffel L 5-5 Fr. HS Flagstaff, Ariz./Flagstaff HS 2 Blair Robalin L 5-6 Fr. HS El Paso, Texas/Franklin HS 3 Maya McClendon OH 5-10 Sr. 3L Louisville, Ky./Dupont Manual HS (Louisville) 4 Kylie Pickrell S 6-0 Fr. HS Coppell, Texas/Coppell HS 5 Carmen Unzue MB 6-2 So. 1L Madrid, Spain/Colegio Nuestra Senora Del Reuerdo (American) 6 Nicole Peterson S 6-0 Fr. HS Portland, Ore./Jesuit HS 7 Madeline Boss OH 5-11 Fr. HS Charlevoix, Mich./Charlevoix HS 8 Mmachi Nwoke MB 6-1 Fr. HS Grand Prairie, Texas/South Grand Prairie HS 9 Jasmine Koonts MB 6-2 Fr. HS Houston, Texas/Klein HS 13 Halle Harker L 5-8 So. 1L Bakersfield, Calif./Liberty HS 14 Lexi MacLean OH 6-2 Fr. HS Frisco, Texas/Centennial HS 15 Halle Johnson L 5-2 Fr. HS Tempe, Ariz./Seton Catholic Prep 18 Oluoma Okaro MB 6-1 Jr. 2L Lakewood, Calif./Gahr HS (San Francisco) 19 Caroline Pearson S 5-9 So. 1L Chicago, Ill./New Trier HR (Denver) 20 Olivia Wittingham OH 5-11 Fr. HS Lemont, Ill./Lemont HS 21 Ivana Jeremic OH 6-1 Fr. HS Gornji Milanovic, Serbia/Gimnazija 'Takovski Ustanak' 22 Cassidy Pickrell OH 6-0 Jr. TR Coppell, Texas/Coppell HS (UC Irvine) 23 Mia Mazon L 5-6 Jr. TR Phoenix, Ariz./St. Mary's HS Letterwinners Returning/Lost/Newcomers: 7/6/11. Returning starters in bold. TEAM OUTLOOK Despite coming off a fourth-consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament last year, the Sun Devils come into the 2016 campaign with a lot of questions after having lost five key players and bringing on a new head coach. Stevie Mussie is in her first coaching job but comes from a strong pedigree that includes an assistant coaching stint at seven-time national champion Penn State. She is also familiar with the Conference having helped Washington win a NCAA title as a player. Mussie looks to bring a championship mentality to a team where the underclassmen (11) outnumber the uppserclassmen (seven juniors and seniors). STRENGTHS » Senior outside hitter Cassidy Pickrell (pictured) led the Sun Devils with 304 kills last season, picking up much of the offensive load when All-American Macey Gardner was out due to a season-ending injury halfway through the season. Pickrell had by far the most number of swings, giving her the preparation to take on the offensive responsibility on a season-long basis. » Five liberos will be battling for the starting position, giving way to a high level of competition day in and day out. Senior Mia Mazon, junior Blair Robalin and junior Halle Harker each had limited roles last season but still gained experience. » Ultimately, the most valuable thing the Sun Devils may have this season is a new coaching staff, though green, that has experienced success at the highest levels - from NCAA Championship winners to Olympians - and know what it takes to achieve those goals. CONCERNS » Arizona State opened 2015 on a 15-match winning streak but won just four of the final 17 to close out the season. And while ASU advanced to the NCAA Tournament, it feels as if the Sun Devils fell short of expectations. How they bounce back from a disappointing end to the start of one of the best season's in program history could set the tone for 2016. » The Sun Devils have many unanswered questions because of the numerous changes already in store. With the loss of key players to graduation, the returnees have limited experience, not to mention the 11 underclassmen. Additionally, the program welcomes three transfers. It does not help that ASU starts the season with 14-consecutive road matches. MUSSIE'S CAREER RECORD Year School Overall Conference Postseason First Season HEAD COACH STEVE MUSSIE • Named the program's seventh head coach in team history on Feb. 3, 2016. • Spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Penn State helping the Nittany Lions win their seventh NCAA Championship crowin in 2014 and to reach its 13th-consecutive NCAA regional semifinal in 2015, the longest active streak. • Was formerly an assistant coach for a season at Colorado in 2007, then made two stops in the ACC at Virginia and NC State. • Member of the 2005 NCAA Championship-winning squad at Washington and was named Most Oustanding Player at the 2006 NCAA Seattle Regional. 2016 ARIZONA STATE ROSTER

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