The bus to Success, U.S.A., just took a wrong turn, and the Oregon volleyball team is now lost in the desert.
What could have been a momentous victory for the Ducks (9-13 overall, 1-12 Pacific-10 Conference) turned into a historic event for the home team Thursday in Tempe, Ariz.
With a 15-8, 15-4, 15-7 sweep against Oregon, the Arizona State Sun Devils (16-8, 8-6) increased their chances of making the NCAA tournament for the second straight year and hit the record books at the same time.
Arizona State head coach Patti Snyder-Park, in her 12th year with the Devils, recorded her 100th career Pac-10 victory. She is only the fourth coach in conference history to achieve that mark.
“To get the 100 wins is a nice achievement, but getting 101 tomorrow night against Oregon State will be even sweeter,” Snyder-Park said after the match. “We played great defense and just took control of the match from the beginning. If we can pick up a win tomorrow night it puts us in good position for the NCAA tournament.”
Senior Amanda Burbridge, who has recorded double-digit kills in each match this season, led Arizona State with 16 kills.
“Arizona State is one of the top defensive teams in the conference; everything feeds off their defense,” Oregon first-year head coach Carl Ferreira said. “When you’re on the road, you automatically have to play with a high level of energy and commitment.”
“If you’re not prepared, you’re going to have a long night,” Ferreira said.

And a long night it was for the Ducks.
From the floor, Ferreira’s squad hit a dismal .097 attack percentage. Arizona State, on the other hand, had an overall attack percentage of .266.
The Ducks pulled to a quick 4-0 lead in game one before the Sun Devils went on an 11-0 run to take control. From there, Arizona State never looked back.
Senior Halie Mazza paced the Ducks with 10 kills, nine digs and four blocks. Freshman Alisha Stevens stepped off the bench for a career-high 10 kills, three blocks and a team-high .350 attack percentage.
Sophomore setter Sydney Chute also provided some spark for Oregon with a .316 clip, eight kills and 28 assists.
The Ducks, in the midst of a three-game losing streak, now travel to Tucson to take on one of the hottest teams in the conference. The Arizona Wildcats, ranked fourth in the country, have an overall record of 20-2 and are 12-1 and tied for the Pac-10 lead.
The Wildcats swept the Ducks in the first meeting of the season.
“I’ve said it before, but in this conference you have to have a short-term memory,” Ferreira said.