Arizona State slays another giant in sweep of Stanford

(Photo: Kiley Jacobson/WCSN)

A week after Arizona State was beaten by a non-ranked opponent for the first time in head coach JJ Van Niel’s four-year tenure, the Sun Devils were presented with an opportunity to show they belong at the top.

Led by its offseason acquisitions, the No. 12 ASU took out the brooms and swept No. 8 Stanford 3-0 in their first game of the San Luis Obispo Classic.

The last time these two teams faced off against each other was in the 2023 Sweet 16, when the Cardinal defeated ASU. Since then, the Sun Devils won consecutive Big 12 championships, but haven’t made it past the Sweet 16. To take the next step, they looked to the transfer portal.

Down 24-23 in the third set with ASU up 2-0 in the overall contest, Stanford was primed to keep its hopes alive as set point was on the horizon. Even though a win for the opponent would still give the Maroon and Gold an opportunity to close it out the next set, any momentum to the eighth-ranked team in the country could mean trouble.

In good fortune for the Sun Devils, their experience led the way to a comeback; a Wisconsin transfer and third-year outside hitter Una Vajagić recorded a kill to even the set.

Two possessions later, fourth-year opposite hitter Noemie Glover swung with such power that no block was strong enough to slow it down, and as the ball hit the ground on the Cardinal side, a sea of gold swarmed on the floor.

Vajagić was one of the many standouts on the day, becoming the first player this season to record two double-doubles in kills and digs.

Against Stanford, Vajagić posted 15 kills, tying fifth-year Kansas State transfer outside hitter Aniya Clinton, and was all over the floor on defense with 14 digs.

Vajagić averages 3.65 kills per set, which is second on the Sun Devils behind Glover (3.71), but leads in points, dishing out 4.38 per match with 145.5 on the season. She’s also the deuce on the other end in digs behind third-year libero Faith Frame (3.00), averaging 2.32 per set.

The transfer has almost certainly lived up to the Sun Devils’ expectations, but she’s not the only outsider who’s made her name known.

Clinton may have traveled from state to state, but she didn’t leave any production behind: she ranks third on ASU in kills with 2.57 per set, and fourth in points with 2.93 per set.

This isn’t the first time the Sun Devils have seen new roster additions change the course of the program’s direction.

Before Van Niel took over, ASU had never won a conference championship across 38 years in the Pac-12 and Pac-10. In his first season, the Sun Devils placed third, tying the 1986 squad for the second-highest finish in program history.

A year later, in ASU’s first run in its new conference, it won a championship, marking a new era for volleyball in the Valley. With the traction gained, it recruited one of the best players available in the 2025 transfer portal: Glover from Oregon.

In her time with the Sun Devils, Glover helped bring the team another conference championship and make a solid playoff run in the NCAA tournament. Last season, she ranked seventh in the Big 12 in kills, averaging 4.23 per set, and after switching positions heading into this season, has been dominant on both ends.

Glover not only leads ASU in kills but is a force to be reckoned with on the net, putting together 30 blocks, which is third on its roster behind third-year middle blocker Zoey Burgess (33) and fourth-year middle blocker Ella Lomigora (31).

The new trio for the Sun Devils has made noise on the offensive end, as not only were they leaders in kills on the day, but also rank top three in kills on the lineup this season.

Defensively, they can all get up, and nothing gets them down, as the triad ranks top five in blocks among the entire group.

ASU has had multiple threats on one team in the past, and while it has led to success, this year’s depth is so far letting it beat the best.

Burgess has been sharp on the net, leading the team in blocks, and Frame has the ground game under control, leading the stat sheet in digs.

Multiple first-years have also risen to the occasion, including setter Elle Mottola. Setters may not have the flashiest stats in the book, but Mottola has changed the operation for ASU, ranking first on the crew with 8.94 assists per set.

Despite facing five ranked opponents in the first 10 games, Mottola is hanging in the conference leaderboards, sitting eighth in assists with 241.

The Sun Devils made a statement with their win in San Luis Obispo on Thursday afternoon ahead of conference play, which begins Sept. 25 on the road at West Virginia.