Outside hitters power No. 7 Sun Devils to bounce-back win over No. 24 Oregon

No. 7 Arizona State (6-2) secured a 3-1 victory over No. 24 Oregon (5-1) on Friday night, recording its first home win of the 2026 season.

Three Sun Devils tallied double digit kills on the night, including freshman outside hitter Grace Martin who logged 12. Junior outside hitter Una Vajagić and senior opposite hitter Noemie Glover also led the way offensive for JJ Van Niel’s team, combining for 24 kills in the win.

After losing to UC Davis in their first game of the Snyder-Park Classic the night prior, the Maroon and Gold entered Friday looking to bounce back against the Ducks who arrived on a five-game winning streak.

But Oregon struggled out of the gates, recording nine errors and hitting .000 in the first set. The errors proved costly as the Sun Devils used them to start an offensive rhythm they would carry through the first set. Van Niel’s squad finished the set with four service aces and nine kills to win 25-13.

“They did a much better job at serving, getting them off the net,” Van Niel said after the game.

But in the second set, the Ducks found their form. An improved offensive performance saw the team notch 17 kills and a .577 hitting percentage. ASU’s offense stalled, committing five errors and hitting .115% as the Ducks tied the game.

Both teams knew a huge third set was coming – and they felt it. The two squads committed a combined 18 errors in the third set and both hit .100% or under. Despite the struggles, Sparky came out on top, winning the set 25-22 led by Glover’s six kills.

After trading points early in the following set, the Sun Devils pulled ahead by two and raced to a 15-13 lead. Van Niel’s side scored 10 of the next 14 points following the media timeout, winning the set 25-17 and securing a 3-1 victory.

“We get in that zone where all we want to do is win,” Martin said after the game, who recorded three kills in each of the four sets.

ASU will look to end this weekend’s tournament with another win as Van Niel’s side returns to Desert Financial Arena on Saturday to face San Diego at 5 p.m. MST.