TEMPE – No. 8 Arizona State had gone a dozen games without a loss on the season before they fell last Friday against Iowa State in Ames, but the mark of a great team is how they rebound from losses, and Wednesday night the Sun Devils did just that.
A dominant sweep for ASU (19-3, 10-1 Big 12) over the Texas Tech Red Raiders (10-13, 2-9 Big 12) silenced any doubt that ASU could spiral following the aforementioned shock loss on Halloween. From the get-go, the Sun Devils were firing on all cylinders, taking the first set 25-6, their biggest margin of victory on the season in a set. ASU followed up the impressive set with a pair of comfortable wins, 25-20 and 25-16. The Sun Devils put on display what can happen when they are surgical both offensively and defensively.
“It was nice to see our team respond,” head coach JJ Van Niel said. “After a tough loss, we went out and probably played one of our more consistent matches [this season]”.
Coming off a difficult loss, the message was clear from the ASU coaches: keep it in the past and make sure to move on to the team in front of them on Wednesday. In a competitive league like the Big 12, overlooking a team can be what sends seasons into a downward spiral.
“Our coaches did a great job this week of just being like, okay, come out strong,” junior opposite hitter Noemie Glover said, “I know last week did go how we wanted, so it kind of lit a fire under us.”
Glover once again shone for ASU, a common practice this season as she continues to look like not just one of the best players in the Big 12, but also in the country. She tallied 17 kills, hitting .696, and even added five blocks. Van Niel came away most impressed with her ability to vary her tips and spikes.
“She got a couple of big kills, everyone’s on their heels, and she could just throw it in the box and score pretty easily,” Van Niel said.
The accession of Glover’s game has opened up ASU’s offensive strategy, something that was evident with senior outside hitter Bailey Miller grabbing double-digit kills herself. With teams spotlighting Glover, the Sun Devil star has had to keep them wondering what her next move may be, a challenge that is new to her.
“I think it’s just really about being a versatile attacker, being able to hit all the shots, and tip around the court,” Glover said. “Keeping the other team guessing so they don’t know where you’re gonna swing”.
After those grueling games last week, ASU needed a spark on the defensive end as well. Enter junior middle blocker Ella Lomigora. Lomigora led the team in blocks against TTU, with an impressive eight, including multiple one-on-one stuffs, setting the tone for the night.
“We just stayed calm, and we were constantly communicating on the front row,” Lomigora said. “It brought a lot of confidence to each other, making it really easy to execute”.
Next up for the Sun Devils is a duel with #21 BYU, a rematch of their match-up in Provo, which saw ASU nab a hard-fought five-set win. BYU possesses a lot of challenges for the Sun Devils, and JJ Van Niel cannot wait for Friday’s big game.
“BYU is scary, I know they’re dealing with some injuries right now, but I’m sure they’re fired up to play us after that tough match that we had against them last time”.
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