No. 12 Arizona State heads to California looking for an upset against No. 8 Stanford

(Photo: Kiley Jacobson/WCSN)

No. 12 Arizona State volleyball is heading to Northern California for a matchup against No. 8 Stanford, putting the 7-2 Sun Devils to the test on the road.

ASU enters the match coming off a 2-1 weekend at the Snyder-Park Classic, while Stanford sits at 5-2. The Cardinal’s size at the net presents a significant challenge, but the Sun Devils’ defensive pressure and serving ability could provide opportunities to disrupt Stanford.

ASU relies heavily on keeping opposing teams out of system by putting pressure on the back row during serve receive. When ASU’s jump, float or deep serves are successful, it can neutralize opposing hitters.

In ASU’s recent win over San Diego, third-year Piper Rama alone accounted for five aces, and with that performance, it took down the Toreros in four sets.

On average, ASU produces around three aces per set, while Stanford suffers four serve-receive errors per match. In addition, ASU has dominant serving statistics this season, racking up nearly twice as many aces as all of its opponents combined.

With Stanford’s serving errors, the Sun Devils’ ability to consistently pressure the Cardinal from the service line could be key to disrupting its offense.

In addition to dominating the service game, ASU’s floor defense has been one of its biggest strengths this season, averaging 13 digs per set. Offensively, Stanford performs well out of system. Even if its pass reception breaks down, it has the ability to clean up rough starts to each play.

Stanford relies on key hitters like fourth-year Julia Blyashov, who averages three kills per set, fourth-year Jordyn Harvey, who consistently hits over .400, and Ipar Kurt, a third-year who matches Bylashov with around three kills per set.

On the other side of the net, the Sun Devils defend with third-year libero Faith Frame, who has had 93 digs, first-year setter Elle Mottola, who tallied 65 up to that point, and Rama with 41.

Facing a Stanford offense that excels at creating plays from broken sequences, the Sun Devils need a disciplined defense to extend rallies and transition into their own strong offensive attacks.

Finding a way around Stanford’s block would also help ASU in securing an upset.

Stanford’s size at the net has produced 68 blocks this season. Its ability to close the gaps will make attacking efficiency especially important for the Sun Devils, who have hit .235% on the season.

On the net, ASU relies heavily on stars like fourth-year Noemie Glover, who has 112 kills on the season, and third-year Wisconsin transfer Una Vajagic, who accounts for 109.

However, ASU’s reliance on these two hitters in particular makes the offense predictable, giving the Cardinal an advantage within their defensive scheme.

The Sun Devils may have to diversify their attack by distributing the ball to third-year Zoey Burgess, a middle with 29 kills, who obtains points with powerful swings and tips to deep zones on the court. Aniya Clinton, a fifth-year outside hitter who has already contributed 39 kills, stands out as another lethal option for the Sun Devils.

To keep Stanford from finding its rhythm at the net, ASU could look to mix up its offense by unpredictably distributing the ball to keep the players at the net guessing.

Ultimately, the Sun Devils’ ability to pressure Stanford from the service line, stay disciplined offensively and find ways around the blocks could shape the matchup. The Sun Devils will look to carry their defensive intensity into a tough road test against one of the nation’s top teams.