Volleyball to face #9 Cal and #3 Stanford

October 17, 2007

The Arizona State Sun Devils (11-9 overall, 3-4 Pac-10) will remain home this weekend as they set to face Pac-10 rivals, #9 California (14-4, 4-3 Pac-10) and #3 Stanford (17-1, 6-1 Pac-10). , the Sun Devils will kick off against the Golden Bears on Thursday, October 18 and then face the Cardinal Friday, October 19, both at 7 p.m. in ASU's Wells Fargo Arena.<separator></separator> <separator></separator>Follow The Sun Devils Live!:<separator></separator>All of ASU's fans can also follow all of ASU's home matches, and most road matches, via the free statistical GameTracker at www.thesundevils.com. Also available for fans both near and far are video broadcasts of all home matches. For more information please visit: asu.newtier.com .<separator></separator> <separator></separator>Recapping Last Weekend:<separator></separator>Against Arizona:<separator></separator>Against their in-state rival, the Sun Devils didn't disappoint in front of their home crowd as they put away the `Cats in a straight sweep, winning 31-29, 30-25, 30-28 to beat Arizona for the third consecutive time. The win was also their second consecutive sweep and their seventh of the season.<separator></separator> <separator></separator>Series History vs. the Cal Golden Bears:<separator></separator>The series history against the Cal Golden Bears currently stands at 27-19 overall in favor of the Sun Devils. Last season, the Bears overpowered the Sun Devils, sweeping the series, winning both matches 3-1.<separator></separator> <separator></separator>Series History vs. the Stanford Cardinal<separator></separator>One of the usual Pac-10 powerhouses, the series against the Stanford Cardinal currently stands at 4-49 all-time. Last season the Cardinal were able to top ASU 3-0 in both matches to take the series.<separator></separator> <separator></separator>Quick Sets -- Release Highlights:<separator></separator>• Libero <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/donahue_sydney00.html"… Donahue</a> has recorded 10 or more digs in 89 of her 103 career matches, including a streak of 53 matches with 10 or more digs dating back to October 21, 2005 vs. USC.<separator></separator>• <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/donahue_sydney00.html"… Donahue</a> also currently holds the Pac-10 lead in digs and digs per game. After eight weeks Donahue has 410 digs for a 6.31 per-game average. She currently holds the Pac-10 single-game match-high total as well with 45 against Virginia on August 25th.<separator></separator>• ASU has the current Pac-10 match high for kills with their 88 against Utah Valley. They also pulled in 98 digs in the Utah Valley face-off, second in Pac-10 match-highs.<separator></separator>• Sophomore, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/mercer_marina00.html">… Mercer</a> holds the season Pac-10 match-high for assists with her 73 against Utah Valley, she also holds second place in the category with her 72 assists against Oregon on September 27.<separator></separator>• Sophomore <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/mittelstaedt_paige00.h… Mittelstaedt</a> is tied for lead in the Pac-10 for solo blocks in a match with her four against Iowa State on September 1st. She is also tied for fifth in single-match kill total with her 26 against Utah Valley.<separator></separator>• Freshman <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/reaves_sarah00.html">S… Reaves</a> is off to a stellar start to her rookie campaign as she leads the Sun Devils in kills with 314, good for a 4.36 per-game average, fifth place in Pac-10 standings. She is currently third in Pac-10 match highs for kills after her 28 against Oregon on September 27. Her 28 kills are not only a freshman match record, but an ASU match record, besting <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/escobar_juliana00.html… Escobar's</a>Oregon on October 18, 2002. In the Pac-10, Reaves is currently ranked fifth in kills per game, with 70 more kills than the only other Freshman on the list, third-ranked Stanford's Alix Klineman. 27 against<separator></separator> <separator></separator>NCAA-tionally Known:<separator></separator>The Sun Devils are currently racing up the NCAA ranks across the country. Most notably are:<separator></separator>• <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/donahue_sydney00.html"… Donahue</a> is ranked SIXTH in the nation in digs per game with a 6.31 average.<separator></separator>• Setter, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/mercer_marina00.html">… Mercer</a> is ranked 34th nationally with a 12.47 assists per game average.<separator></separator>• Freshman, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/reaves_sarah00.html">S… Reaves</a> is ranked 73rd nationally in kills per game with a 4.36.<separator></separator> <separator></separator>Brains and Brawn These Girls Have It All:<separator></separator>The Sun Devil Volleyball team has proven year after year that they are some of the best on the court and also in the classroom. ASU holds the proud title of MOST Pac-<separator></separator>10 All-Academic selections in history with 40 over every other Pac-10 school. They also have a ten-year streak of at least one honor on the Pac-10 All-Academic team.<separator></separator>Leading the list last year were <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/meek_colette00.html">C… Meek</a> and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/mercer_marina00.html">… Mercer</a>, who both were named to the first-team and Rachel Mittlestaedt who was named to the second team.<separator></separator>Four other Sun Devils received honorable mentions as well.<separator></separator> <separator></separator>Digging Her Way To The Top:<separator></separator>Senior libero <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/donahue_sydney00.html"… Donahue</a> is on pace to place her name all over not only ASU and Pac-10 record books (which she already has), but the NCAA ones as well. The senior currently has the single-season ASU and Pac-10 digs record and this season has already broken the career Pac-10 digs record, while inching up the NCAA records as well. Her current total of 2,155 puts her 11th all-time in NCAA history. Last season alone, Donahue had 742 digs as well as tying an all-time NCAA record of 50 digs in a match, which she did in three games against LMU on August 26, 2006.<separator></separator> <separator></separator>A Tough Schedule:<separator></separator>As always, ASU is set to face a tough slate for the 2007 season. Aside from being in the all-powerful Pac-10, ASU jumped from an RPI of 152 to 30 in a successful year which found them later in the NCAA Tournament. The jump itself is one of the highest in the history of NCAA Volleyball alone. This year the Devils look to jump yet again in the RPI rankings, taking on a tougher and tougher schedule every year.<separator></separator> <separator></separator>Head Coach <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/saindon_brad00.html">B… Saindon</a>:<separator></separator>Head Coach <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/saindon_brad00.html">B… Saindon</a> is in his fifth season at the helm of the Sun Devil Volleyball program. Saindon has compiled a 43-70 record at ASU and an all-time 287-210 record in 16 seasons at the collegiate level. He coached the University of Colorado to a 181-112 record from 1986-96, leading the Buffalos to six NCAA Tournaments and two Sweet 16 appearances. He was also the head coach of the Australian Women's National Team in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Saindon graduated from ASU in 1976 with a degree in business administration.