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Undefeated Weekend Keeps Perfect Start Going

Undefeated Weekend Keeps Perfect Start GoingUndefeated Weekend Keeps Perfect Start Going
Kimberlie Haner
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Sun Devil Volleyball beat New Mexico State on its home court in four sets (21-25, 25-17, 25-12, 25-21) on Sunday afternoon to finish the Borderland Invitational with a perfect 3-0 record to keep the undefeated start to the season rolling. 

Notable Stats
  • Arizona State (6-0) stays perfect after the win over New Mexico State (3-2), continuing the best start at ASU since 2015 (15-0). The team beat all three opponents at the Borderland Invitational, the only team to do so. 
  • This was the second match of the year with double-digit blocks, tallying 11 in the win. 
  • Fifth-year senior Shannon Shields had a career-high six blocks against the Aggies. She tallied 40 assists, her third-straight match with 40 or more assists. It was the eighth match of her career with 40-plus.
  • The three pin hitters all reached double digits again: Marta Levinska (14), Geli Cyr (13) and Roberta Rabelo (10). 
  • Levinska, a senior opposite, moved to 18-straight matches in double figures with her 14 kills. She also had six digs and an ace. 
  • Rabelo, a senior outside hitter, reached double-digit kills in every match this weekend. She also had a career-high three aces, as well as six digs.
  • Along with her 13 kills, junior outside hitter Cyr neared a double-double with nine digs, adding a block and an ace as well.
  • Graduate libero Mary Shroll led the defense with 13 digs.
  • Senior middle blocker Claire Jeter hit .500 with nine kills and five blocks, chipping in an ace as well.
Quote
Head Coach JJ Van Niel

"We faced a lot of adversity this weekend and were able to come through with wins against three quality opponents. Several of our athletes stepped up in a variety of ways throughout the weekend, and I'm really happy with how we responded and figured out ways to win."
 
Set One: NMSU 25, ASU 21
The Aggies started out on top, leading 5-1 early, but the Sun Devils responded with three in a row with a block from Shields. Rabelo tied the set at 7-7 with a kill, an ace from Jeter giving ASU the lead. It stayed close for a while, neither team able to pull away. Five in a row from NMSU gave it back the lead, 18-16. Levinska put away two-straight kills to tie it at 20-20, but the rest of the set went to the Aggies, winning 25-21. This is the only first-set loss of the season for the Sun Devils so far.

Set Two: ASU 25, NMSU 17
In the second frame, the two teams were close, trading leads and tying to start. Five in a row from ASU pushed the lead to 13-6, a run that saw an ace and a backrow kill from Cyr. NMSU responded with a 5-1 run, making it 15-12 and forcing a timeout. Out of the break, Rabelo put away a kill to stop the momentum. The Sun Devils scored four in a row with two kills and two Aggie errors to extend the lead to 21-15. Jeter got the team to set point with a kill and then an ace, with an error from the home team finishing the set, 25-17.

S2 | ASU 14 - NMSU 7

That BLOCK by Claire ??#ForksUp pic.twitter.com/W2IH6ukMFc

— Sun Devil Volleyball (@SunDevilVB) September 3, 2023

Set Three: ASU 25, NMSU 12
It was all Arizona State in the third set. With Rabelo serving, the Sun Devils scored six-straight points to jump out to a 9-2 lead. Behind a 6-1 run, the Aggies got close at 12-9, but that would be as close as they got. Back-to-back kills from Levinska and McLaughlin pushed the lead to 20-11. Cyr wrapped up the set with consecutive kills of her own, winning 25-12.

Set Four: ASU 25, NMSU 21
Rabelo's serving came up big for the team again in the fourth set, as she served seven in a row, getting the squad a 9-5 lead with two aces. NMSU battled back, scoring three in a row to make it 14-14 before its own error ended the run. Levinska served up an ace and Jeter and Shields teamed up for a block to push the lead up to 21-17. The perfect season stayed alive as Rabelo's kill sealed the win, 25-21.

Up Next
Arizona State will stay in state next weekend, playing at the Lumberjack Classic at Northern Arizona from September 7-9. ASU will play NAU first, then Boise State and Stephen F. Austin.