TEMPE — No. 8 Arizona State (22-3 overall, 13-1 Big 12) faced trouble late in the fifth set on the road against No. 22 Colorado (21-6 overall, 11-4 Big 12).
After winning the opening two sets, the hosts stormed back and sat only three points away from the victory. A win for the Buffaloes would’ve put them one win behind the Sun Devils in the conference standings with four games remaining in the regular season.
However, with their back against the wall, the reigning Big 12 champions showed their championship mettle.
A late 5-0 rally inspired by junior opposite hitter Noemie Glover gave the Sun Devils a five-set victory in Boulder on Saturday afternoon, putting the Maroon and Gold another step closer to retaining the conference trophy.
Glover and Colorado’s junior pin attacker Ana Burilovic entered the game as two of the Big 12’s best attackers. Both players combined for 59 kills on the day, which was 45% of all kills in the game.
In the first set, Colorado stretched its advantage to a four-point lead midway through. However, a 10-0 ASU run gave JJ Van Niel’s side a first-set victory. The team hit over .300% with Glover recording six kills and graduate middle blocker Colby Neal tallying three kills and three blocks.
Another tight set followed. Both teams raced out to a 15-15 tie before the Sun Devils extended another late lead and took the set 25-22. Glover notched an additional six kills.
With a 2-0 advantage in the game, ASU looked on track for its second conference road sweep. However, everything took a dramatic change.
Colorado stormed back to take two consecutive rounds and tee up a fifth set. The Buffaloes overtook Sparky in hitting percentage following the fourth set, with Burilovic recording 25 kills as the team pushed to complete the turnaround.
Colorado never lost a conference match this season in five sets, while ASU never dropped a match when leading 2-0. The hosts raced to a 9-5 lead after a 7-2 run, and edged within three points of the win when junior pin attacker Sydney Jordan recorded her 10th kill of the day.
The run-in form prompted Van Niel to take a timeout — it proved to be the turning point.
ASU scored five straight points following the break, with Glover notching three kills. Junior outside hitter Jullian Neal logged an ace and senior outside hitter Tatum Parrott finished the match with her fifth kill.
The win ensures that the Sun Devils remain two games ahead in first place. Colorado, meanwhile, drops to third in the Big 12 after Kansas won on Saturday.
Van Niel’s side still controls its own destiny with four games remaining. The Maroon and Gold will look to win a fourth straight game on Wednesday at UCF.
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