In an electric showdown at Mullet Arena, the No. 11 Arizona State Sun Devils clinched a thrilling 3-1 set victory over the No.8 Kansas Jayhawks in front of an energetic crowd.
The first set started with both teams exchanging points, staying close until tied at 15-15. The Sun Devils then pulled away, scoring five consecutive points to pull ahead 20-15. Kansas fought back to close the gap, but ASU senior outside hitter Geli Cyr willed the Sun Devils forward to a 26-24 set victory.
“Coming out strong in the first set is something that we’re really trying to focus on now, and I think this was one of our better games for that,” said graduate student middle blocker Claire Jeter.
Kansas dominated much of the second set, steadily building a lead that the hosts struggled to overcome. With relentless momentum, the Jayhawks extended their advantage to 23-18. Maintaining control, the visitors took the set 25-20, tying the match as both teams headed into the break.
The third set saw Arizona State regain momentum with powerful plays from key starters. As points flooded the court from all positions, it was clear the common theme of the night was balance amongst the Sun Devils.
Graduate student setter Argentina Ung orchestrated the offense by setting the ball to various inside and outside hitters all night long.
“We’re all friends off the court which makes distributing the ball to them during games that much easier,” said Ung.
A close review on a Jeter spike called out at 24-20 was upheld at the end of the set. Jeter responded with an emphatic kill on the next play, giving ASU a 2-1 set lead with ease.
While much of Arizona State’s success can be attributed to the players on the court, the fans off the court played their part Wednesday night.
“We love playing in front of our fans. I cannot stress that enough,” said ASU head coach JJ Van Niel. “I want them to come out every match because the energy in here is unbelievable. Just like the sixth man in basketball, that’s our crowd,” said head coach JJ Van Niel.
The Devils showed resilience in the fourth set, led by Cyr and graduate student outside hitter Roberta Rabelo, who tacked on the team’s fourth and fifth ace of the match. Despite leading most of the set, Mullet Arena became tense once Kansas tied it at 21-21 late. However, a misserved ball by Kansas and a final kill from graduate student outside hitter Shania Cromartie clinched the 3-1 victory for ASU.
Cromartie and Cyr finished the match with 15 kills a piece to send KU back home second in the Big 12. The win against the Jayhawks makes it 11 straight for Arizona State as they now sit atop the Big 12 conference (23-2, 11-1 Big 12).
The Sun Devils will look to continue their solid form as they have their next home stand against Kansas State (9-11, 7-4 Big 12). The game is set for 7 p.m. PST at Desert Financial Arena.
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