TEMPE – Behind a season-high 15 blocks, No. 11 Sun Devil Volleyball defended its territory once again by defeating Kansas State in four sets (25-22, 21-25, 25-20, 25-23) at Desert Financial Arena on Friday night for the 12th-straight win.
Notable Stats
The first set was back-and-forth from the jump until the Sun Devils were able to reach 10 first, leading 10-9 over the Wildcats. After continuing to trade points, a block by Jeter gave ASU a 15-13 lead going into a media timeout. Following the break, Jeter striped one through the middle to give the Sun Devils a 21-18 lead, forcing the Wildcats to take a timeout to regroup. Kansas State was able to put together two in a row to bring it close in the end, but ASU was able to secure set one, 25-22.
Set Two: K-State 25, ASU 21
The Wildcats came out hot and scored four in a row until the Sun Devils were able to put together their own 3-0 run with the help of kills by Shania Cromartie and Rabelo, tying it at 4-4. Ung found Cromartie for a sneaky kill to bring ASU's deficit within one, trailing 10-9 to Kansas State. The Sun Devils fought back-and-forth with the Wildcats and tied it at 14-14, but the Wildcats were able to regain the lead, forcing the Sun Devils to take a timeout. Rabelo found an opening to bring the Sun Devils deficit within one, trailing 20-19. Following that, the Wildcats went on a 5-2 scoring run to secure set two, 25-21.
Set Three: ASU 25, K-State 20
The Sun Devils jumped out to a 6-2 lead to start with the help of a kill by Cyr. Kansas State responded to that and put together a 9-2 scoring run to take an 11-8 lead, forcing ASU to take a timeout to regroup. A service ace by Jillian Neal snuck in the back corner, giving the Sun Devils a 16-15 lead and forcing the Wildcats to take a timeout. After battling back-and-forth, Cyr found an opening for a kill to give ASU a 21-19 lead over Kansas State. Building off that momentum, the Sun Devils went on a 4-1 scoring run to take set three, 25-20.
Set Four: ASU 25, K-State 23
ASU and Kansas State exchanged points from the start until a kill by Cyr gave ASU the edge at 6-5. Cromartie stepped up for a solo block and followed that with a kill, giving the Sun Devils a 13-8 lead over the Wildcats. Kansas State managed to slowly chip away at ASU's lead, bringing its deficit within one, forcing Arizona State to take a timeout while holding onto an 18-17 lead. Building off that momentum, the Wildcats were able to take a 21-20 lead, forcing the Sun Devils to take their last timeout of the set to regroup heading into the final stretch. Following that timeout, the Sun Devils went on a 5-2 scoring run to take set four, 25-23.
Up Next
Arizona State will be hitting the road next week to face West Virginia and Cincinnati on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. Quotes
Head Coach JJ Van Niel
Opening statement:
"Great crowd tonight; we love playing in front of the fans, they packed it tonight, and it was such a cool environment. We didn't play our best volleyball, but it was nice to battle through and emerge victorious. Kansas State put a lot of pressure, and I was impressed with how everyone contributed. People like Rob stepped up and had one of her best matches this season. Bailey (Miller) did a phenomenal job coming in and getting us some points from the service line. She had a big moment in the game when she came in, and buried the ball. It was a big-time kill and a really big moment."
On Roberta Rabelo's performance in the last seven games:
"Rob is one of those selfless players, and there isn't an athlete who is happy about not playing. She was a starter last year and got beaten out, but what impressed me about Rob is how hard she worked to be engaged and improve. This late in the season to have her come off and have these matches is helpful because we need her to be good and she's been great the last several matches."
On coaching the team:
"I love this team and how they're just wonderful, beautiful people to be around. I'm grateful every morning to go to a gym and be around these kids because they're the coolest crew to be around and anyone that's gonna be around them is gonna say the same thing. I'm grateful they're such a great group of players."
On closing out the season:
"We control our destiny, the only thing we can control is the next match. They're gonna get a couple of days and Monday morning we gotta get ready for a tough road trip. West Virginia and Cincinnati will not be an easy road trip. I've heard West Virginia is not a fun place to play. We'll have a target on our back and it's everyone's game of the year. All these teams we finish with will be gunning for us, so we must be prepared and be able to handle it."
Graduate pin hitter Roberta Rabelo
On being motivated for having a target on their back:
"Something that JJ mentioned, we're not the underdogs this year like we were last year when no one believed in us. I think it's motivating for me. We have our beliefs and goals and we just have to keep going because this is motivation. It's a privilege to be in the spot that we are right now and we are relentless."
On the strategies implemented for blocks:
"We're not big, but we are very quick and athletic. At practice, we have very fast balls and when we play against teams that don't have as fast sets that we have, it's easier to get to the ball. We're smaller but we're quick and we stick to the system and we have a really good back row defense. It's just sticking with the system and trusting each other. I think that's our biggest thing."
Graduate libero Mary Shroll
On local fan support:
"Just seeing all the fans, that used to be me. I used to come watch these games when I was young on my high school, my club team. So, being in that switch position is a really amazing feeling. Especially seeing all the local clubs that are still here and still in Arizona. EVJ, Aspire, Storm, they're all coming to our games. So it's just really cool and just a sense of family, especially when all the kids swarm the court. I know I'm just surrounded by people that love me and support me, my family coming up to me. So it's an amazing feeling, especially being in the DFA gym that I've been in and played in before, ASU even. So it's really cool."
On what this win means heading into a tough road series to end the regular season:
"We knew they were a good team and we had an emotional match obviously with Kansas on Wednesday, a really big game. We knew that this was going to be kind of a gritty game. Like we said, they're a good team. So now it's just kind of pushing through these last couple of weeks, especially just finishing out the end of the season. We have to finish strong. The Big 12 is like the Pac-12, where any team can beat you on any day. So I know our staff and all of us are going to be locked in on the scout, especially going into a far road trip. But, we're just trying to finish strong and JJ said it, we control our own destiny, we control how we want to finish this and how we want to finish in the Big 12."
Notable Stats
- Arizona State (24-2, 12-1 Big 12) got its 12th win in a row by beating Kansas State (9-12, 7-5 Big 12). The win puts them at 24 on the year, tied for the fourth-most wins in program history.
- The Sun Devils had 15 blocks in the win, a new season high. They have had double-digit blocks in three-straight matches after only having two in the previous games.
- The blocking effort was led by graduate middle blocker Claire Jeter with nine, matching her career high that she's earned three other times. She's had six or more blocks in three-straight matches. She also had nine kills.
- In her best game of the season so far, graduate pin hitter Roberta Rabelo had a team-high 13 kills on a .345 clip. Her kill total is a new season high, her first time this season in double figures (17th time in her career). She also had four blocks.
- Senior outside hitter Geli Cyr surpassed 1,000 kills in her career after this match, notching 12 kills. She is the 21st Sun Devil to reach this milestone. It was her 19th match with double-digit kills. She also neared a double-double with nine digs and had three blocks (matching her season high).
- Pacing the offense, graduate setter Argentina Ung had 35 assists and 11 digs for her 11th double-double of the year (30th of her career).
- Graduate libero Mary Shroll earned her sixth-straight match with double-digit digs, leading the team with 12. She's had double figures in all but one match. This was the 100th match of her career with double-digit digs.
- Attendance was 4,300 at the match, the fourth match this year with over 4,000 in attendance (second in a row).
Set One: ASU 25, K-State 22Brick Wall ??#NCAAWVB x ?? ESPN+ / @SunDevilVB pic.twitter.com/Oq9mxUPl8R
— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) November 9, 2024
The first set was back-and-forth from the jump until the Sun Devils were able to reach 10 first, leading 10-9 over the Wildcats. After continuing to trade points, a block by Jeter gave ASU a 15-13 lead going into a media timeout. Following the break, Jeter striped one through the middle to give the Sun Devils a 21-18 lead, forcing the Wildcats to take a timeout to regroup. Kansas State was able to put together two in a row to bring it close in the end, but ASU was able to secure set one, 25-22.
Set Two: K-State 25, ASU 21
The Wildcats came out hot and scored four in a row until the Sun Devils were able to put together their own 3-0 run with the help of kills by Shania Cromartie and Rabelo, tying it at 4-4. Ung found Cromartie for a sneaky kill to bring ASU's deficit within one, trailing 10-9 to Kansas State. The Sun Devils fought back-and-forth with the Wildcats and tied it at 14-14, but the Wildcats were able to regain the lead, forcing the Sun Devils to take a timeout. Rabelo found an opening to bring the Sun Devils deficit within one, trailing 20-19. Following that, the Wildcats went on a 5-2 scoring run to secure set two, 25-21.
Set Three: ASU 25, K-State 20
The Sun Devils jumped out to a 6-2 lead to start with the help of a kill by Cyr. Kansas State responded to that and put together a 9-2 scoring run to take an 11-8 lead, forcing ASU to take a timeout to regroup. A service ace by Jillian Neal snuck in the back corner, giving the Sun Devils a 16-15 lead and forcing the Wildcats to take a timeout. After battling back-and-forth, Cyr found an opening for a kill to give ASU a 21-19 lead over Kansas State. Building off that momentum, the Sun Devils went on a 4-1 scoring run to take set three, 25-20.
Set Four: ASU 25, K-State 23
ASU and Kansas State exchanged points from the start until a kill by Cyr gave ASU the edge at 6-5. Cromartie stepped up for a solo block and followed that with a kill, giving the Sun Devils a 13-8 lead over the Wildcats. Kansas State managed to slowly chip away at ASU's lead, bringing its deficit within one, forcing Arizona State to take a timeout while holding onto an 18-17 lead. Building off that momentum, the Wildcats were able to take a 21-20 lead, forcing the Sun Devils to take their last timeout of the set to regroup heading into the final stretch. Following that timeout, the Sun Devils went on a 5-2 scoring run to take set four, 25-23.
The kill that sealed the deal ??#ForksUp pic.twitter.com/OcXAcmo8vg
— Sun Devil Volleyball (@SunDevilVB) November 9, 2024
Up Next
Arizona State will be hitting the road next week to face West Virginia and Cincinnati on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. Quotes
Head Coach JJ Van Niel
Opening statement:
"Great crowd tonight; we love playing in front of the fans, they packed it tonight, and it was such a cool environment. We didn't play our best volleyball, but it was nice to battle through and emerge victorious. Kansas State put a lot of pressure, and I was impressed with how everyone contributed. People like Rob stepped up and had one of her best matches this season. Bailey (Miller) did a phenomenal job coming in and getting us some points from the service line. She had a big moment in the game when she came in, and buried the ball. It was a big-time kill and a really big moment."
On Roberta Rabelo's performance in the last seven games:
"Rob is one of those selfless players, and there isn't an athlete who is happy about not playing. She was a starter last year and got beaten out, but what impressed me about Rob is how hard she worked to be engaged and improve. This late in the season to have her come off and have these matches is helpful because we need her to be good and she's been great the last several matches."
On coaching the team:
"I love this team and how they're just wonderful, beautiful people to be around. I'm grateful every morning to go to a gym and be around these kids because they're the coolest crew to be around and anyone that's gonna be around them is gonna say the same thing. I'm grateful they're such a great group of players."
On closing out the season:
"We control our destiny, the only thing we can control is the next match. They're gonna get a couple of days and Monday morning we gotta get ready for a tough road trip. West Virginia and Cincinnati will not be an easy road trip. I've heard West Virginia is not a fun place to play. We'll have a target on our back and it's everyone's game of the year. All these teams we finish with will be gunning for us, so we must be prepared and be able to handle it."
Graduate pin hitter Roberta Rabelo
On being motivated for having a target on their back:
"Something that JJ mentioned, we're not the underdogs this year like we were last year when no one believed in us. I think it's motivating for me. We have our beliefs and goals and we just have to keep going because this is motivation. It's a privilege to be in the spot that we are right now and we are relentless."
On the strategies implemented for blocks:
"We're not big, but we are very quick and athletic. At practice, we have very fast balls and when we play against teams that don't have as fast sets that we have, it's easier to get to the ball. We're smaller but we're quick and we stick to the system and we have a really good back row defense. It's just sticking with the system and trusting each other. I think that's our biggest thing."
Graduate libero Mary Shroll
On local fan support:
"Just seeing all the fans, that used to be me. I used to come watch these games when I was young on my high school, my club team. So, being in that switch position is a really amazing feeling. Especially seeing all the local clubs that are still here and still in Arizona. EVJ, Aspire, Storm, they're all coming to our games. So it's just really cool and just a sense of family, especially when all the kids swarm the court. I know I'm just surrounded by people that love me and support me, my family coming up to me. So it's an amazing feeling, especially being in the DFA gym that I've been in and played in before, ASU even. So it's really cool."
On what this win means heading into a tough road series to end the regular season:
"We knew they were a good team and we had an emotional match obviously with Kansas on Wednesday, a really big game. We knew that this was going to be kind of a gritty game. Like we said, they're a good team. So now it's just kind of pushing through these last couple of weeks, especially just finishing out the end of the season. We have to finish strong. The Big 12 is like the Pac-12, where any team can beat you on any day. So I know our staff and all of us are going to be locked in on the scout, especially going into a far road trip. But, we're just trying to finish strong and JJ said it, we control our own destiny, we control how we want to finish this and how we want to finish in the Big 12."