(Photo: Sammy Nute/WCSN)
A challenge by No. 14 Arizona State’s head coach JJ Van Niel late in the third set might’ve been the difference maker Wednesday night in Texas as Van Niel successfully challenged that a kill from Scottsdale native and TCU freshman outside hitter Evan Hendrix landed outside ASU’s line. The challenge completed a six-point comeback in the final set and allowed the Sun Devils to carry their momentum onward to victory.
No. 22 TCU (8-3) pushed Arizona State (12-1) all the way to the end in each set but couldn’t defeat the Sun Devils who started their Big 12 Conference era off with a sweep. Arizona State’s win was its fifth straight and the team has swept the competition each time, winning 15 sets in a row since its loss against a top-five ranked Nebraska team on the road nearly two weeks ago.
For a while though, it looked like Arizona State’s set win streak was going to end at 14. The Horned Frogs jumped out to a 10-6 lead early on in the third set after a 4-0 run. They managed to maintain and expand their lead to 19-13 before Arizona State got the momentum to start swinging its way.
An attack error from graduate middle blocker Claire Jeter seemed to shock herself and the rest of her teammates into the gear that they were missing.
Jeter immediately got a kill after her error, tipping the ball with precision into a spot on the floor no TCU player could get to, making the score 19-14 and starting a 6-1 run leading up to Van Niel’s successful challenge to tie the set 20-20.
ASU and TCU then traded a few points back and forth before back-to-back kills from senior outside hitter and Texas native Geli Cyr gave the Sun Devils the buffer they needed. Arizona State would win the third set and the overall match two plays later off an Evan Hendrix service error right into the net.
Playing just 25 miles away from her hometown of Flower Mound, Geli Cyr had yet another career night. Her 18 kills were a career-high and she helped out defensively as well, finishing second on the team in digs with nine. From a kills perspective, the second set was Cyr’s strongest as she recorded seven.
It might’ve been a great set for Cyr, but it didn’t come easy for Arizona State. The team trailed TCU in the early part before a bad set and an attack error gifted ASU a 9-8 lead. The Sun Devils would trade the lead back once before a 4-0 run tied the set and gave them a 20-17 lead. A lead they would hold to win the second set 25-22
The first set was where ASU jumped out to take early control of the match. After taking a 2-1 lead and producing an early 4-0 run, t
he Sun Devils were in control of the set 7-3. From that point on TCU never got within a point of tying and was only within two points twice. The Sun Devils won set one 25-20.
The Sun Devils are staying in the Lone Star State for one more match against No. 19 Baylor down in Waco, before returning home to Tempe. The Bears are 9-3 and coming off of a win against Arizona and should be a tough opponent for an Arizona State squad that can’t stop winning.
