(Photo: Kiley Jackson/WCSN)
TEMPE – Arizona State’s dominant start to its season in volleyball was often attributed to star senior Noemie Glover and juniors Faith Frame and Una Vajagic. Yet, the importance of the sideline energy also set the team up for success. Coach JJ Van Niel and the starting athletes credited their recent 3-1 victory over San Diego to the “gamechangers.”
In such a competitive environment, when not everything went right, the Sun Devils turned to their bench for high energy, excitement and celebration. In their win over San Diego, the group of girls on the sideline brought what the girls on the court needed.
“They’re ready to go at any moment in time,” Starting freshman setter Ella Mottola said, who tallied 34 assists and 3 blocks. “They really just keep our energy high.”
Aided by their off-court support, the Sun Devils secured their second-straight home win, knocking off San Diego in four sets. Van Niel’s squad moved to 7-2 with the victory, whereas the loss dropped the Toreros to 3-3.
Junior defensive specialist Piper Rama, who Van Niel says started the group, keeps the energy up when she’s not dominating the court.
“Piper is just such a high-energy person,” Coach JJ Van Niel said. “It provides a good spark for our team.”
During a timeout in the second set, fans cheered as Rama acrobatically performed front walkovers and the worm on the sideline.
Not only did Rama excite the crowd, but she also led the team with five aces and contributed six digs and an assist. While Rama’s serves made the Toreros shank the ball out of play, she also knocked San Diego out of system repeatedly, causing their hitters to find the perfect open spot on the court.
“Every time she goes back there, I feel like we’re going to score points.” Van Niel says.
Rama’s five aces were part of ASU’s serving performance that constantly put pressure on San Diego. The Sun Devils finished with 13 aces overall, which was over double the Toreros.
ASU’s defensive effort helped it maintain control throughout the match. Despite San Diego taking the second set, the Sun Devils responded by winning both the third and fourth sets. ASU closed the blocks at almost double what the Toreros put up. In addition, the Sun Devils held San Diego’s offense to a hitting percentage of .000%.
“We all find it with each other. We really fight for each point.” Mottola said.
With some rallies stretching to almost a minute without rest, the Sun Devils rarely faltered. During the first set, in a competitive rally that seemed it would never end, the defense found itself on the receiving end of an attempted kill from San Diego’s BayLea Sparks, who logged 14 kills against UC Davis in the prior game.
Yet, the ball didn’t hit the court on the Sun Devils’ side, as Frame reflexively threw her arm out and made contact with the ball that was filled with momentum. As the ball popped up, Rama tracked it down and delivered a clean set to Vajagic. Vajagic’s initial attack was dug out by the Toreros’ defense, keeping the play alive. Still, ASU ultimately claimed the point when Vajagic killed the ball on her third attempt.
Plays like that require more than individual skill. They require trust between teammates to make the next play, even when the outcome is uncertain.
“We all trust each other to get any ball over, any ball in or any ball killed,” Mottola said.
Such trust became especially important during ASU’s long rallies, when staying composed could be just as challenging as making the play itself. For the Sun Devils, keeping a positive mindset is part of the expectation. Frame, who anchored the defense with a team-high 15 digs and countless unbelievable saves, flashed a smile mid-rally after making another jaw-dropping defensive move, causing Desert Financial Arena to erupt with cheers.
“We work a lot on that in practices too with our mental trainer,” said Una Vajagic, after accounting for both 13 kills and digs.
The Sun Devils relied on one another to stay composed, especially when the rallies stretched and the momentum began to shift. When pressure built, the “gamechangers” were there to keep the energy from leaving the court.
Arizona State’s win was a collective effort that extended to the six players on the court. The energy from the bench, the trust within each other, and, of course, the level of elite play they bring every match.
