SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Four earned double-digit kills as No. 12 Sun Devil Volleyball won a gritty five-set match at Cal Poly (25-20, 25-19, 21-25, 21-25, 15-11) on Friday night at Mott Athletics Center.
Notable stats
- Arizona State (9-2) played in its first five-set match of the year, beating Cal Poly (4-5) on its home court. Head coach JJ Van Niel improved to 8-3 when going to five.
- The offense had four reach double figures in kills tonight, the first time this season doing so.
- Junior outside hitter Una Vajagić set a new career high in kills with 21. This was her second match of her career with 20-plus kills, both coming this season. It was also her fifth match in a row in double figures. She added nine digs as well, nearing a double-double.
- Also earning a career high in kills was junior middle blocker Zoey Burgess with 10. She hit .500 and added two blocks and three digs.
- Two other pin hitters earned double-digit kills: senior opposite Noemie Glover with 15 and graduate outside hitter Aniya Clinton with 14. For Glover, it was her fifth match in a row in double figures. For Clinton, it was her second in a row.
- Serving was strong in the win, the team earning nine. Junior defensive specialist Piper Rama and sophomore serving specialist Ella Lewis brought it in the win. Rama had four aces, her fifth time with three or more aces this season, including in three of the last four matches. Lewis tied her career high with three aces, which is a season high for her.
- Junior libero Faith Frame led the team in digs with 11. It was her seventh time this season reaching double figures.
- The setting duties were split between the three setters throughout the match. Freshman Elle Mottola led the way with 28, while Isabella Costantini had 15 and Živa Labinjan added 11. For Labinjan, that is a new personal best.
Set one: ASU 25, Cal Poly 20
The Sun Devils were able to open up a four-point lead after scoring three points in a row with tough serving from Vajagić, making it 9-5. The Mustangs chipped away at the lead, getting within one at 10-9 before they missed a serve. Following a 3-0 run for Cal Poly, the set was tied at 14-14 until Vajagić’s swing was too strong for the block, getting the sideout into the media timeout. Some errors from the home team allowed ASU to go up 18-16, forcing a Cal Poly timeout. The teams traded points down the stretch, but back-to-back kills from Vajagić put the Sun Devils at set point, 24-20. A Mustangs error ended the set, 25-20.
Set two: ASU 25, Cal Poly 19
After an early Sun Devil lead, the Mustangs scored three in a row to tie it at 5-5. Arizona State responded with six-straight points behind Rama’s serve to jump out to an 11-5 lead. Rama had three aces in that run. Cal Poly closed the gap with a 4-1 run, making it 15-14, but an error and kills from Burgess and Glover pushed the lead up to 18-14. Rama earned her fourth ace at the end of a 3-0 run to force a timeout at 21-15. ASU would hold its lead, winning 25-19 after Glover tooled the block.
Set three: Cal Poly 25, ASU 21
The Mustangs took charge early in the third set with a 5-0 run to go up 11-7. A pair of kills from Glover made it a two-point set, 12-10, but Cal Poly then scored three in a row to lead 15-10 going into the media timeout. Out of the break, the Sun Devils caught fire, scoring four in a row behind Ella Lewis’s strong serves. She had two aces in the run to put ASU within one, down 15-14. From there, the teams traded points until Cal Poly put together a 4-1 run to make it 22-18 and force Arizona State’s second timeout. The home team would take the set, 25-21.
Set four: Cal Poly 25, ASU 21
Cal Poly carried over momentum into the fourth frame, taking an early 4-3 lead. Kills from Clinton and Vajagić knotted it up at 7-7. The Mustangs led by four at 14-10, but an error from Cal Poly and an ace from Lewis cut it to two, 14-12. Trailing 17-13 following a run of three from the home team, Clinton’s kill got the sideout. After some back and forth, a 4-1 run for the Mustangs made it 22-17, bringing the Sun Devils’ second timeout, which caused a service error after the break. Despite late kills from Burgess and Glover, Cal Poly closed out the set, 25-21, forcing a fifth.
Set five: ASU 15, Cal Poly 11
It was neck and neck in the fifth set. ASU scored three in a row to go up 7-5, sparked by a scrappy save that led to Vajagić’s 21st kill. Following a successful challenge by the Sun Devils, they scored three in a row to push the lead to 10-6, forcing the Mustangs’ second timeout of the set. A few points in a row for Cal Poly made it 12-9, bringing a timeout from ASU, but a kill from Clinton out of the break got the sideout. A serve error on match point sealed Arizona State’s win, 15-11.
Up next
Arizona State will begin Big 12 play next week, traveling to West Virginia on Friday, September 25, before then heading to Cincinnati on Sunday, September 27.
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