TEMPE — No. 6 Arizona State entered its ninth Big 12 matchup of the season against No. 13 TCU, aiming to keep its conference win streak alive against its highest-ranked Big 12 opponent yet. The Horned Frogs arrived in Tempe looking to bounce back after dropping two straight matches to No. 14 Kansas and No. 17 BYU.
An intense four-set battle (25-11, 22-25, 25-13, 25-17) resulted in ASU coming out on top and remaining undefeated in Big 12 play, improving to 18-2 overall and 9-0 in the conference. The Sun Devils have continually had a target on its back as the reigning Big 12 Champs, but no one has been able to be dethrone them as the season dwindles down.
“Aside from the second set, we played a pretty solid match,” head coach JJ Van Niel said. “We had contributions, kind of from everywhere, a nice balanced offense. I was very happy with our middles and right sides for taking advantage of a lot of open space.”
The Sun Devils came out strong in the first set, taking it 25-11. Senior outside hitter Bailey Miller and junior opposite Noemie Glover helped the team set the tone early on with powerful kills at the net. Glover continued her streak of double-digit kills, finishing with 11, while Miller added 11 kills and three aces to help lead ASU’s offense.
The second set was the only one ASU dropped, 25-22, after a few errors gave TCU a chance to take control of the set. But instead of letting the loss slow them down, the Sun Devils bounced back quickly in the third set.
Graduate middle blocker Colby Neal led the effort, dominating at the net with several big blocks and kills. She finished with nine kills and nine blocks, hitting an impressive .692. Her energy gave the team a boost and helped ASU take the third set, 25-13.
Once the Sun Devils jumped in front following the third set, their home crowd was rejuvenated, as they fed off the crowd’s cheers while keeping the pressure on TCU for the rest of the night.
“It’s always nice to have people cheering alongside you,” Neal said. “It gives us motivation to protect our house. These people came and showed up for us, so we want to show out for them.”
ASU’s defense also played a huge role in the win. Sophomore libero Faith Frame led the players with 13 digs, her third straight match in double figures. Senior outside hitter Tatum Parrott added 11 digs and held a steady presence on the court when TCU tried to fight back. The Sun Devils held the Horned Frogs to a .060 hitting percentage, one of their best defensive efforts of the season.
In the fourth set, ASU closed things out with high energy. Redshirt freshman outside Kiylah Presley stepped up with nine kills and several key plays late in the match, while Miller and Parrott each scored points for the Sun Devils to keep the momentum going. Presley sealed the win with a final kill to make it 25-17, as ASU’s fight song rang out in triumph, just like it has all year at home.
“I think different players have stepped up at different times,” Van Niel said. “One of the things this year that has been most impressive is fighting even when our backs are against the wall. We’ve got a lot of times where I would have thought we would have lost, and late in the set, people are making big plays and they’ve been really resilient.”
The 942 crew added to the energy, making Desert Financial Arena a tough place for any opponent to come and compete. The Sun Devils have yet to lose a regular season game at home since joining the Big 12, with their fans playing a huge part in that.
“Our team loves playing in front of them, we’ve got a great crowd, they’re loud,” Van Niel said. “The 942 crew is in your ear, it’s like having a seventh person on the court.”
With the win, ASU picked up its sixth victory over ranked opponents this season and extended its Big 12 win streak to 25 straight matches. The Sun Devils remain undefeated at home with a 9-0 record and continue to prove why they are the defending Big 12 Champions.
ASU is back on the road this week and will face Iowa State on Friday at 4:30 p.m. MST, looking to keep its undefeated Big 12 run alive with just a month left in the regular season.
