LAWRENCE, Kan. - Entering Friday’s anticipated matchup against No. 18 Kansas, Arizona State Volleyball looked to avenge its previous defeat against a ranked opponent when the Sun Devils lost to No. 2 Texas on Sept. 14.
ASU rode a three-game win streak against Pepperdine, Grand Canyon, and Milwaukee into play on Friday.
Sun Devils junior opposite hitter Noemie Glover registered another impressive game, scoring 25 kills throughout five sets. Senior outside hitter Bailey Miller also provided a solid scoring night, scoring 10 kills while having a less-than-impressive hit percentage of .075%.
Set one of the night set the foundation for the game, as it proved to be a back-and-forth set. Ultimately, the Jayhawks closed out the set winning 30-28.
Kansas scored just 13 points off kills, as most of its points came off ASU errors.
Jayhawks standout freshman hitter Jovana Zelenovic led the way in the first set by scoring 5/13 kills.
Sets two and three played out nearly identically to the first, except for a critical Sun Devil scoring run in the second set.
During the second set, both teams came out strong with the score tied at 11-11. However, ASU played off momentum from two Glover kills to lead by as much as five, ending the set with a final score of 25-21.
Yet, Kansas didn’t surrender without a fight, as it turned a fairly competitive set into a seemingly one-sided one, ending the second half in control, winning 25-22.
Leading 2-1, the Jayhawks had momentum to finish off the eighth-ranked Sun Devils and secure their 10th win of the year. However, ASU decided to spoil the home crowd's night.
As seen before, the Sun Devils have proved to be a tough team to put away. Going back to its bout against Texas State, ASU entered the fourth set down 2-1 and ultimately came back to win.
During the fourth set, it appeared to be another tight, contested matchup, as the Sun Devils hung on to a two-point lead. Back-to-back Kansas turnovers changed the trajectory of the game, as the ASU rolled off a 7-1 run, leading 19-11 and forcing Kansas to take a timeout.
Miller and senior outside hitter Tatum Parrot scored the lone three points during that run, yet the Sun Devils, making the most of the Jayhawks’ mistakes, helped secure the fourth set 25-20.
Starting the fifth and final set, ASU wasted no time by taking an early 7-2 lead. Glover began the scoring and ended it, scoring five kills and securing the game point, leading the Sun Devils to a 15-11 set win and their second-ranked victory of the year.