The Sun Devils won in straight sets 3-0 in front of a packed Desert Financial Arena on Sunday afternoon, improving their season record to 4-1.

This game was the second of two games ASU played in the Nore-Stahl Classic. The Sun Devils won the first game versus Florida Gulf Coast 3-1.

No. 7-ranked ASU entered this matchup with a record of 3-1, with the Sun Devils’ sole loss coming against Pittsburgh. LMU entered with a record of 0-3, looking for its first win of the season.

The Lions looked to have found their groove early in the first set, jumping out to a 7-3 lead. ASU seemed out of tune, as they were unable to string together consecutive points to make a run.

The Sun Devils went on to score five straight points, forcing LMU to use a timeout. However, ASU scored immediately after the timeout, securing a 15-14 lead.

The Maroon and Gold were able to shake off some of the early game woes and strung together a couple of runs en route to a 25-22 first set win.

“I think we were doing some pretty good blocking. I think we’ve still got some areas where we can still clean some stuff up defensively in the backcourt,” said head coach JJ Van Niel.

The Sun Devils had 14 kills and four errors on 30 attacks in the first set with a .333 hitting percentage. ASU also had six digs and four blocks.

The Lions had 11 kills and eight errors on 30 attacks with a .100 hitting percentage. LMU also totaled seven digs and two blocks in the first set.

The second set saw a much more competitive back-and-forth duel between the two teams, as neither squad held a lead greater than three points.

The Lions once again jumped out to an early lead, 3-1. However, it was wiped away quickly as ASU tied it at 4-4.  

The Maroon and Gold scored three straight points and never looked back. 

Both teams traded points for much of the set, but the Sun Devils finished off set two on a 3-0 run to take the set 25-21 and lead LMU two sets to none.

ASU had 13 kills and seven errors on 36 attacks with a .167 hitting percentage in the second set. The Sun Devils totaled five total blocks in the second set.

LMU had nine kills and eight errors on 33 attacks with a .030 hitting percentage in the second set. The Lions also had three total blocks.

In the third and final set, ASU started hot, springing to a 9-3 lead. Junior outside hitter Jillian Neal had a pair of kills in the middle of the set that allowed the Sun Devils to keep momentum throughout.

ASU closed out the set with three straight points to take the third set and close the doors on LMU.

Graduate outside hitter Maddie Boerstra led the Lions with 11 kills on 32 total attacks and was second on the team in points with 12.5. Senior outside hitter Sophie Stephenson led LMU in total points with 14 and added 10 kills of her own on 23 total attacks.

Senior outside hitter Bailey Miller led the Sun Devils with 12.5 total points hit at a .333 clip with 11 kills on 33 total attacks. Senior outside hitter Tatum Parrott matched Miller’s total with 11 kills of her own on 23 total attacks to go with 12 total points. Parrott and Miller combined for 24.5 of the 58 total points ASU scored in the win.

“These were our first home matches, and so it can be a little nerve-racking. We want to perform well for our fans and for the community,” said Parrott. “I think just being able to play our brand and our game of volleyball and sticking with what we work on in practice has been really helpful for us in just giving confidence to each other.”

In addition to the matchup being played, it was Sun Devil Club Night at DFA.

“It just warms our heart(s) just to see all these little kids and the impact that we make on them,” said Parrott. “They’re the loudest people in the stands right now, so I feel like it’s really awesome to have them engaged with us and to interact with us.”

The Lions continue their search for their first win of the season as they host Western Michigan on Sept. 11 as a part of the LMU Invitational. 

The Sun Devils will aim to maintain this momentum as they travel to San Marcos, Texas, to participate in the Texas State Tournament. 

ASU is currently scheduled to play two games in the tournament, one against Texas State on Sept. 11 at 4 p.m. MST and one against Incarnate Word on Sept. 12 at 12 p.m. MST.