Offense shines bright as No. 11 ASU dominates No. 8 TCU

(Photo: Connor Gleason/WCSN)

TEMPE – On a day when it gave out magic decks of cards in honor of head coach JJ Van Niel, Arizona State had some aces up its sleeve that helped it fool the No. 8 team in the nation.

The crowd inside Desert Financial Arena erupted as No. 11 Arizona State (13-3, 4-1 Big 12) pulled some sorcery out of its back pocket to defeat No. 8 TCU (14-3, 5-1 Big 12) 3-0 on Sunday afternoon. A win, unlike the one two days ago, showcased the Sun Devils’ dominance on all facets of the game.

“I’m proud of the team, proud of the staff,” Van Niel said. “I thought my staff put together a really, really good game plan…Our offense was on and defense was on. It was great.”

The Sun Devils were able to make magic with their service aces, totaling seven in the match in comparison to the two of TCU.

That difference was one of the many disparities in offensive statistics favoring ASU. In addition to service aces, the Sun Devils outscored the Horned Frogs in hitting percentage, kills and assists.

In regard to the discrepancy in the hitting percentage, ASU boasted a .357 hitting percentage compared to TCU’s .048. Van Niel said that it all starts with the serving and the ability to get opponents out of sync.

“We were able to get them out of some routes that they are really good at,” Van Niel said. “They weren’t able to get loose on their back or attack, which they’ve been really good at this year.”

“As far as our offense, it was passing,” Van Niel added. “We were passing the ball and we were digging the ball well and when you do that, you can get our setters to get their hands on it and we can put up some good balls and get physical kids to put it away.”

Entering today’s matchup, TCU was fourth in the Big 12 in average hitting percentage at .284. To mitigate the damage the Horned Frogs can do from that aspect of their game, fourth-year opposite hitter Noemie Glover said it was all about making them adjust to what the Sun Devils do blocking-wise.

“From a blocking standpoint, just being a battle up there, we know what shots they wanted to hit,” Glover said. “They’ve kind of been hitting the same shots throughout their season as their season goes on.”

Following a commanding victory over No. 23 Colorado two days prior, ASU’s crowd remained raucous, earning credit from Van Niel for their support.

After over 3,200 people were in attendance for the Sun Devils’ match against Colorado, over 3,000 filled the seats in Tempe on Sunday.

“The fans were huge for us,” Van Niel said. “They were so loud it felt like there were 8,000 people in there.”

“It means a lot,” Frame said. “I think our crowd really showed up today and that really helped us push through and get that win. I feel like the energy never died down and we really appreciate the crowd. That was a really fun game for everyone to come to and watch.”

Glover followed up Frame’s words by saying that it means a lot to show the fans the work that the team is putting in behind the scenes.

“We love having those top matchups and the Big 12 is such a strong conference,” Glover said. “The fact that people want to come out and watch, and we have girls coming up to us and are really excited and we have people even around Tempe that are excited for the games and excited for our season so it’s great to see.”

The Sun Devils close their four-game homestand on Thursday as they play host to Arizona. In order to carry the momentum from this win, Frame and Glover say it is important to maintain the same mindset that they have had.

“Before games, JJ’s made a big emphasis on controlling our effort and our attitude,” Frame said. “I think tonight we did a good job of working through ‘They’re going to get good hits. They’re going to side out and we have to figure out how to make those plays quick…’ Just working through those little things and we’ll be good.”

“We’ve been on a mission to prove that we’re the best team in the Big 12,” Glover said. “No matter how it started, this is where we’re at now.”