No. 7 ASU leaves Nore-Stahl Classic with convincing victories

TEMPE, Ariz. — No. 7 Arizona State returned to the court on Sunday to round out the Nore-Stahl Classic with a Sunday afternoon matchup against Loyola Marymount, which lost in four sets to Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday.

ASU ended the weekend with a straight-set sweep over the Lions at Desert Financial Arena. The Sun Devils improved to 4-1 with the win, while the Lions, the defending West Coast Conference champion, dropped to 0-4.

Senior outside hitters Bailey Miller and Tatum Parrott each finished with 11 kills to lead ASU. It was the second straight match in which both players reached double figures. Miller added nine digs, tying for the team high and coming within one of a double-double.

The Sun Devils’ power continued to show across the front row, as junior middle blocker Ella Lomigora performed seven kills, while junior outside hitter Jillian Neal added seven of her own. Redshirt freshman opposite Kiylah Presley contributed six kills and three blocks to the Sun Devils’ campaign.

ASU finished with 10 team blocks, marking the fourth time in five matches it reached double figures, while graduate middle blocker Colby Neal anchored the defense with seven. The Sun Devils were able to find success in their match against the Lions, even without their usual lineup on the court.

“When Noemie (Glover) was out, we didn’t have much time to prep, so we had kind of a new lineup and new roles,” Head Coach JJ Van Niel said. “She (Jillian Neal) wouldn’t have prepared for blocking assignments for the right side blocker because she had no idea she would be doing that, and then she always knew what she was supposed to do, and that’s Jill, she’s a true professional.”

Loyola Marymount controlled the early stages of the first set, taking a 13-7 lead before the Sun Devils responded with a six-point run sparked by Miller and Neal. The Lions closed the gap late, but back-to-back errors sealed the set for the Sun Devils, 25-22.

Set two remained tight until halfway through, when Colby Neal’s kill and block created separation for ASU. Service errors from both sides of the court caused the team to trade leads, but in the end, an LMU error handed ASU the 25-21 set two win.

The Sun Devils jumped ahead quickly in the third set, gaining an 8-2 lead. The Lions fought back to a two-point margin at 19-17, but ASU regained control after long rallies with kills from Parrott and Presley. Lomigora put away the final kill to complete the sweep, 25-20.

“I went in with the mentality to hit everything, and that helped me gain confidence and be in rhythm with my setter,” Parrott said. “Having that mentality of just going after it and starting the game off that way opens things up.”

ASU’s defense has been consistent through the opening two weeks. The Sun Devils held Loyola Marymount to below .150 hitting percentage, continuing a season-long emphasis on limiting opponents’ efficiency.

“I think we’re doing some pretty good things blocking,” Van Niel said. “We’ve been holding teams to pretty low hitting efficiencies, which is one of our goals this season.”

ASU required in-game adjustments facing the Lions’ defense. “They were working a lot around our block and trying to take advantage of any holes we had,” Lomigora said. “We kept making blocking adjustments to make up for that, and I feel like we were able to combat it.”

At the end of the Nore-Stahl Classic, Colby Neal was named most valuable player. Lomigora and Presley joined her, earning all-tournament team honors.

Sunday’s match drew many Sun Devil Volleyball fans in, a point Van Niel emphasized after the match. They left the weekend with a 4-1 record, three all-tournament honorees and momentum heading into the next stretch of nonconference play.

“Another fun crowd today. I think we had almost 3,000, so that was really exciting on a Sunday preseason match,” Van Niel said. “That energy helps our team. I think they’re really fired up by all the kids that were there and all the fans that were there.”

“It’s really awesome to be able to play these tough games at home, surrounded by a bunch of fans that are here and being really loud,” Lomigora said.