No.11 Sun Devils stay hot, pull out gritty win over Kansas State

(Photo: Savannah Sannes/WCSN)

After their massive win over No. 8 Kansas, on Wednesday, No. 11 Arizona State volleyball team immediately turned their attention to the next matchup, Friday evening’s match against Kansas State University.

With a crowd of 4,300 backing them at Desert Financial Arena, their third largest of the season and eighth largest since 2013, the Sun Devils put on a show, taking down the Wildcats 3-1 (25-22, 21-25, 25-20, 25-23). The win improved their record to 24-2 overall, and 12-1 in Big 12 Conference play.

“I was really impressed tonight with how everyone was contributing,” head coach JJ Van Niel said. “We definitely didn’t play our clean volleyball, but it’s really nice to be able to battle through and come out on top.”

The match started out with a lot of back-and-forth, as both teams struggled to go on a scoring run and build a lead. The point-for-point nature of the game continued up until the very end of set one, with ASU pulling away at the last moment to seal the set.

The second set offered more of the same, but the Wildcats were the ones that widened the lead late to take the set.

By the end of set 2, graduate student Roberta Rabelo had picked up 8 kills. Her 13 kills on the night was a season high for her, and helped to lead the team as other players were having more of a down night.

“[Rabelo] is one of the hardest workers in the gym, every single day in the weight room,” graduate student libero Mary Shroll said. “There’s no doubt that she works hard and has passion.”

During the third set, the Sun Devils and Wildcats traded scoring runs, and ASU was able to finish out the set on a kill from graduate student outside hitter Shania Cromartie.

The fourth set was the most heavily contested of the match, with both teams going on numerous two or three point runs, and never letting their opponent get too large of a lead.

Senior outside hitter Geli Cyr picked up five kills in the set, finishing strong on a night that she didn’t start out playing her best. Additionally, Cyr picked up her 1,00th career kill, making her the 21st Sun Devil in history to reach that mark.

Toward the end of the set, Van Niel called a time out. In the time out, he spoke with his team, and told graduate student setter Argentina Ung to set junior outside hitter Bailey Miller, who had come in off the bench in the second set as a serving specialist.

“I knew when I called it,” Van Niel said.

Miller came out of the time out and picked up a big kill, bringing the score to 21-21.

“Ice in her veins,” Van Niel said. “That was impressive. She had been serving, so that’s good, got her warm, but I’m sure she was fired up, and she came in and she bounced that thing. It was great.”

The moment from Miller brought the crowd back to its feet, where they remained for the rest of the match.

The Sun Devils reached 24 points on a service error from graduate student outside hitter Aliyah Carter, and then closed out the match on a game-winning kill from Roberta Rabelo.

“It was a pretty good feeling, because we were tight with them and just finished the game right there,” Rabelo said. “It was good. So we had the chance, I had to just finish it.”

For the Wildcats, who have been struggling to find a consistent lineup amidst multiple injuries, their strong attack had the Sun Devils on their toes the entire game. Carter had 22 kills, and junior outside hitter Shaylee Myers had 10 kills. Additionally, senior libero Ella Larkin had 20 digs, preventing ASU hitters from being as efficient as they normally are.

With the win, the Sun Devils take sole possession of first place in the conference after No. 8 Kansas lost in five sets to the University of Arizona. However, for ASU, it’s business as usual next week as they look forward to their next matches.

“I’m continually just trying to message that we’re controlling our own destiny, and the only thing we can control is the next match,” Van Niel said.

With two away matches, at West Virginia and Cincinnati, the Sun Devils face a tough road trip, but look to build on their recent success and continue to maintain their hold at the top of the Big 12 standings.

“Now it’s just kind of pushing through these last couple weeks, especially just finishing out the end of the season,” Shroll said. “We gotta finish strong, and I know our staff and all of us are going to be locked in. And like JJ said, we control our own destiny. We control how we want to finish this and how we want to finish in the Big 12.”