Grace Martin shines in No. 7 Sun Devils win over No. 24 Oregon

TEMPE – With Arizona State leading the pivotal first set 17-10, head coach JJ Van Niel looked to try to put the set away, which his team struggled to do the night before. After all, the Sun Devils were undefeated when going into the second set with a 1-0 lead.

Then the coach, known for his ability to do magic tricks, pulled a rabbit out of a hat.

Freshman outside hitter Grace Martin walked onto the court as an adjustment to help take the pressure off senior opposite side hitter Noemi Glover. Soon after her introduction to the match, Martin had a chance to strike. A bump by junior libero Faith Frame followed by a set from freshman setter Elle Mottola left Martin with one thing left to do: kill.

Martin leaped and placed the ball just beyond the Oregon defenders and inside the line, keeping ASU’s momentum going.

After helping win the first set, Martin would continue to dominate the line game for the rest of the match as she helped the No. 7 Sun Devils(6-2, 0-0 Big 12) get back on track, defeating No. 24 Oregon(5-1, 0-0 Big 10) 3-1 to keep ASU’s first-set streak alive.

“They are just competitors,” Van Niel said. “Which is nice. Grace does a nice job hitting line, and we thought we could do that against this team, and she did. I mean, she hit 312 with 12 kills, so pretty good for her in front of a big crowd. So, that was fun.”

The Kansas native’s performance came in just her second appearance in a crucial time in her young college career. It also served as her first real game action in Desert Financial Arena after barely playing the night before.

A moment like that against a Top-25 opponent could easily have gotten the best of the inexperienced freshman. However, the positive news for the Sun Devils is that Martin has a good support system outside of the team, as volleyball runs in her family.

Martin’s sister, Ava, was a part of the Creighton volleyball team that ended ASU’s season in 2025. In 2025, Ava won Big East Player of the Year, along with being named an AVCA Second-Team All-American before being selected No. 2 overall in the 2025 MLV Draft to the Atlanta Vibe.

While her sister is busy playing professionally over 1500 miles away, Martin still looks to her to help guide her transition to college volleyball. Whether it is asking for advice on playing or just adjusting to life away from home, Martin has leaned on her sister.

“She’s been amazing throughout this whole thing,” Martin said. “I mean, I go to her for almost everything volleyball-related. She’s really told me just to trust the process, and it takes a while. I mean, this block is huge; it’s a lot bigger than what I’m used to, and so I have to trust the process.”

It hasn’t just been the leadership from her sister that has helped Martin transition into the college game. Martin has been able to play and learn from All-Conference teammates, such as Frame and Glover.

“I think it’s always good when the young kids have some older kids to just be around,” Van Niel said. “It calms them down. Faith’s a really good presence out there. She’s very steady. So yeah, I think that’s obviously helpful.”

That leadership was put on full display Friday night after Martin and the Sun Devils dropped their second set to the Ducks, leaving the match tied at 1-1. Following the previous night’s loss, a close match could’ve left young Sun Devils with untameable nerves.

That’s when Glover stepped in and reminded the team that it was a fun-themed brainrot night, and that while Division I volleyball is competitive, it is still just a game at heart. Martin said moments like that helped calm her nerves throughout the match.

“It brought some humor to the court,” Martin said. “Because sometimes it would get really intense. But then we realized, like Noemi kept saying, it’s six-seven night. Like we really have nothing to lose. Like we have to go out there and have a good time, play like it.”

Both Glover and Martin see similarities in each other–not necessarily with their styles of play, rather with the mentality they show up with on the court. The pair have both tended to get extra fired up after scoring kills, along with showing frustration when making mistakes.

“I love it,” Martin said of Glover’s passion. “I’ve always been the person that likes to play very passionately, and I think she’s the same way. We both love what we do, but we kind of get in that zone where all we want is just to win, and we’re really passionate about the sport we play. And so it’s really good that someone matches my energy.”

Not only was Martin’s 12-kill performance, which left her second on the team, crucial to the Sun Devils bouncing back to get their first home win, but it could also serve as hope for their end-of-season goals.

At times this season, including Thursday’s loss, ASU’s offense has looked one-dimensional, relying on its two veteran outside hitters in Glover and senior Una Vajagic to win a majority of attacking points. On Friday night, Martin stepped in to be that third option while also drawing defenders to allow her other teammates to join the fun.

“We need that,” Van Niel said. “I think the best teams in the country, you know, year in and year out, they’re not relying on one person. You know, they’ve got multiple people. I still think we can get our middles even more involved.”

If Martin can continue to be one of the Sun Devils’ top attacking assets, the over 4,000 Sun Devil fans in attendance and many more at home could find themselves thrilled with the team’s end result. ASU will return to the court for its final match of the Snyder-Park Classic against San Diego on Thursday at 5 p.m. MST at DFA.

“I honestly loved the crowd,” Martin said. “I think that helps a lot. That big of a crowd. I don’t think I’ve ever played in front of that many people. It was just so exciting, and having all my teammates like surrounding me and giving me that confidence, like it was like a dream come true.”