(Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)
No. 8 Arizona State headed into conference play with a target painted on its back after winning the Big 12 Championship in its inaugural year. Its first test came on the road with a pair of games in Kansas, as the No. 18 Jayhawks and Wildcats would get the first cuts at the reigning champs.
The Sun Devils (11-2, 2-0 Big 12) made an impressive run in their first title defense this weekend, walking away with a pair of wins while holding onto their stretch of career-high kills, double-doubles, and match-high digs.
In the match against Kansas, junior Noemie Glover led the team to success, scoring 25 points for the Sun Devils, a career-high for the opposite hitter.
ASU battled back and forth in the first set with the Jayhawks trading point leads. Redshirt freshman Kiylah Presley tied it up for the Sun Devils 24-24, but the team ultimately dropped the set to Kansas 28-30.
The second set saw ASU bring the heat against the Jayhawks early in the set, opening a 4-0 lead. Kansas responded to the Sun Devils’ run by evening the score out at seven
After another scoring run by the Jayhawks, ASU performed three blocks to gain a three-point advantage, one they wouldn’t give up. Glover and senior Tatum Parrott carried the Sun Devils to a 21-15 gap with five kills.
Parrott gained a season-high 14 digs and executed eight kills during her return to play in the Sun Devils matchup against Kansas, while Glover notched her sixth match with double-digit kills.
Despite Kansas’ attempt to close the gap, senior outside hitter Bailey Miller secured the set point for ASU with a kill, ending the set 25-21. Miller earned her fourth double-double of the season and tied her career-high blocks with five as well as set a season-high for aces with four.
The Jayhawks’ momentum was too strong for the Sun Devils in the third set. Kansas came out on top, winning the set 25-22 after trading points with ASU for the majority of the set.
The fourth set of the match saw the Sun Devils come back against the Jayhawks with impressive plays from Miller, Parrott and Presley. Graduate Colby Neal ended the fourth set 25-20 with a kill for ASU.
The Sun Devils’ momentum from the previous set showed in the fifth set with an early lead for ASU, 7-2. Presley and Miller each added a kill after Glover and Parrott’s kills to make the score 12-6. Kansas felt the pressure and closed the gap by three points, 14-11.
After a long five-set battle between the Sun Devils and the Jayhawks, Glover clinched the match point for ASU with a score of 15-11.
The Sun Devils had Saturday off in Kansas before heading into Sunday’s match in the Little Apple against Kansas State (7-3).
ASU secured its seventh sweep of the season and 18th Big 12 win in a row against the Wildcats in three sets.
Kills from ASU proved to be the strong suit in set one. Glover led the Sun Devils with two kills to open up a 3-0 lead against Kansas State. The Wildcats tried closing the gap but ASU refused to let up, kills from multiple players shut down the home team, 12-7.
Kansas State consistently stayed on the Sun Devils tail, but two kills from Glover opened the lead up 23-16. Junior middle blocker Ella Lomigora and Presley capped off the set for ASU with a block, winning the first set 25-19.
The Wildcats’ attack responded to the Sun Devils’ dominant performance in the first set early on in set two. However, ASU pushed back with an ace opening up a four-point lead, 8-4. Kansas State tied up the set 10-10, but a kill from the Sun Devils ended the Wildcats’ momentum.
The teams exchanged points back and forth, but Neal and Glover jumped into action to stretch the lead for ASU, 17-13.
The Wildcats tied the set for the second time at 19 apiece, but Glover’s kill pushed the score to 21-19 in favor of the Sun Devils. Kansas State called its second timeout when redshirt sophomore Brynn Covell made the score 23-20, but once again, Glover’s back-to-back kills secured the set point for ASU, 25-20.
The third set in the matchup saw the Wildcats double down on the Sun Devils, opening up an early lead for Kansas State, 7-2. ASU found its momentum once again toward the middle of the set with a Neal block putting the team within one point.
Three errors from the Wildcats gave the Sun Devils an advantage to catch up, making the score 17-14. ASU made an impressive run with kills coming from four different players, and Glover’s 13th kill sealed the match for the Sun Devils, 25-19.
ASU continues to prove itself as a powerhouse team in the Big 12, holding its opponents to a sub-.200 hitting percentage for the fifth time this season.
The Sun Devils will carry their momentum back to Tempe and into their Big 12 home opener match against Utah on Saturday at Desert Financial Arena.
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