No. 9 Sun Devils travel to Lone-Star State for trio of games

(Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)

No. 9 Arizona State (4-1) will travel to Texas this weekend for three matches, beginning Thursday against Texas State and concluding Sunday against No. 2 Texas. The trip follows a pair of home victories that extended the Sun Devils winning record to four matches.

ASU earned wins over Florida Gulf Coast and Loyola Marymount at the Nore-Stahl Classic in Tempe last weekend. Graduate student middle blocker Colby Neal was named the tournament’s most valuable player after securing a team-high in blocks with 15 and contributing to the Sun Devils’ defense. Outside hitters junior Ella Lomigora and redshirt freshman Kiylah Presley earned all-tournament team honors along with Neal, combining for 30 kills in the two games.

ASU will open the Texas State Invitational on Thursday against Texas State (3-2). The Bobcats went 2-1 at the Southwest Showdown last weekend, defeating UTRGV and Texas A&M – Corpus Christi before falling to UTEP in four sets, despite picking up a single point from the second set. The Bobcats will challenge the Sun Devils with their defensive players, senior middle blocker Jade Defraeye and setter Anna Blaine. Defraeye totaled 13 kills while her teammate Blaine capped off at 37 assists during their matchup against the Aggies. Texas State will be looking to tack on its first win at home this season.

Arizona State continues play on Friday with its first-ever matchup against Incarnate Word (3-3). The Cardinals split their most recent weekend of competition, earning a five-set win over Northern Colorado while falling to BYU and Wichita State. Sophomore setter Calissa Allison was named the Southland Conference setter of the week for her impressive 92 assists, 42 digs, 18.5 points, 10 kills, six blocks and five service aces over the weekend at the BYU Invitational.

The trip will conclude Sunday in Austin with a top-10 matchup against Texas (4-0). The Longhorns have started the season with four straight wins, including three against top-12 opponents. Most recently, Texas defeated then-No. 6 Stanford in five sets. Junior Torrey Stafford recorded 18 kills and 10 digs in the Longhorns’ face off against Stanford, marking her third double-double of the season. The Longhorns also hold victories over Creighton, Wisconsin and Rice. ASU and Texas have previously met six times, as the Longhorns lead the series 5-1. The Sun Devils only win came in 2013, when they swept in straight sets.

For the Sun Devils, the trip represents their first extended road stretch of the season. The Sun Devils opened with one match in Iowa and two at the State Farm Volleyball Showcase in Pittsburgh before returning to Tempe for the Nore-Stahl Classic. Through five matches, ASU has won 12 of 16 sets and has recorded double-digit blocks in three contests.

Neal has been a consistent presence at the net, averaging over two blocks per set during the first two weekends. Lomigora and Presley have paced the offense, combining for more than 50 kills during the team’s last four matches.

ASU’s defense has also been effective. Sophomore libero Faith Frame leads the team in digs, and the Sun Devils managed to hold opponents under a .200 hitting percentage in two matches at the Nore-Stahl Classic. Against Loyola Marymount, ASU limited the Lions to just 33 kills across three sets.

The schedule in Texas will test the Sun Devils with three matches in four days. Texas State and Incarnate Word provide opportunities to build on the team’s rhythm before Sunday’s meeting with the Longhorns.

The matches against Texas State on Thursday and Incarnate Word on Friday will take place in San Marcos, Texas. The Sun Devils will travel to Austin, Texas, for their top-10 match against Texas on Sunday.