For the first time this season, the Sun Devils went the distance as their previous five games were decided in three or four sets. 

ASU, coming off an impressive clean sweep against Loyola Marymount, looked to extend its win streak to three. However, the Sun Devils faced the reigning 2024 Sun Belt champions.

To start the first set, both teams came out sloppy with seven straight errors after junior outside hitter Samantha Wunsch recorded the opening kill of the game. More of the same came from the Sun Devils, as they ended the set with more attack errors and service errors. 

First set scoring leaders senior outside hitter Tatum Parrott and senior outside hitter Bailey Miller proved to be enough, as the Bobcats controlled the first set with great defense and capitalized on ASU errors to win the set 26-24. 

The second set started off similarly to the first, as the Sun Devils committed uncharacteristic errors that kept Texas State in the game. Bobcats’ senior middle blocker Jade Defraeye stood out, as she tallied multiple key blocks when ASU’s outside hitters attacked. 

During the second set, the Sun Devils made numerous adjustments to their serving, which posed a problem for the Bobcats. 

These adjustments allowed ASU to regain the lead and take a 23-20 advantage. After a close back-and-forth set, junior outside hitter Jillian Neal and Bailey Miller scored the final three points, winning the set 30-28. 

In the third set, the Sun Devils played their sloppiest, as costly errors and passive defense allowed Texas State to have its best set of the evening. 

Yet, ASU’s Miller made a significant impact down the stretch to twist the narrative. Miller scored six kills during the third set; however, her effort proved insufficient, as the Bobcats took control to secure a 25-20 third-set victory. 

During the fourth and fifth sets, the momentum flipped as the Sun Devils began to dominate. All aspects of ASU’s game flowed, starting with the improved setting from redshirt sophomore setter Brynn Covell. Covell's setup put the Sun Devils’ hitters in the perfect situation to succeed.

ASU’s serving drastically changed from the first set, as Texas State’s counterparts did not have an answer for the serving changes in the fourth and fifth sets. This resulted in the Sun Devils holding the Bobcats to the two lowest scores in the game, with 19 in set four and nine in set five. 

ASU won the fourth set with a score of 25-19. 

In the fifth and final set, Miller, Parrott and Neal closed off a tightly contested set of games by winning the fifth set 15-9. 

The Sun Devils’ record improves to 5-1, with their next game against Incarnate Word in the Texas State Invitational. 

Key Players of the Night: 

#22 Bailey Miller: 28 Kills, .333H%, .491K%, 18 Digs 

#3 Tatum Parrot: 21 Kills, .333H%, .439K%, 10 Digs 

#27 Brynn Covell: 29 Assists, 14 Digs, 0 Errors