The Sun Devils did just that in their return to Tempe on Nov. 5, rolling to a sweep over the Texas Tech Raiders in straight sets, 25-6, 25-20, 25-16. Wednesday’s effort marks ASU’s 19th win of the season, keeping the team undefeated at home in 2025 at 10-0. 

For some teams, coming off your eighth conference loss as a head coach in three seasons and your second conference loss since 2024 may rattle you, but this was not the case for Sun Devils women’s volleyball head coach JJ Van Niel. 

“It was nice to see our team respond after a tough loss,” Van Niel said. “We probably played one of our more consistent matches and my coaches did a really nice job on the scouting report.”

As both fanbases brought energy for the beginning of set one, it was the ASU faithful who fell quiet as Texas Tech graduate Peyton Dunn began the game with an ace. But it was the Sun Devils who got the home fans back on their feet, responding with four consecutive points to follow.

Momentum became a consistent theme for the Sun Devils all night long, highlighted by a 14-point run that began with a 6-4 lead for ASU and finished with a substantial 20-4 advantage. The Sun Devils finished off set one with ease, taking down the Red Raiders 25-6 and picking up their most significant point advantage in a set this year.

“We’ve been pretty good in our opening sets,” Van Niel said. “Our serving has been on fire, we had six blocks and when you have that in the first set, it’s huge.”

Everything went ASU’s way in set one, with six blocks and holding Texas Tech to a -0.335 hitting percentage – Texas Tech totaled 14 attack errors. In the Sun Devils’ defensive effort, junior middle blocker Ella Lomigora led the charge with five of her eight blocks coming in set one.

“We were really good on scouting and knowing our rotations,” Lomigora said. “They were changing a lot of their lineup but we just stayed calm and were constantly communicating.”

As both teams swapped sides to begin set two, ASU aimed to maintain the momentum, but the Red Raiders held their ground in a back-and-forth battle, ultimately holding an advantage. However, the Sun Devils found their rhythm late with a 25-20 set win, and in large part to junior opposite hitter Noemie Glover finding her groove. 

“Everyone is a great option in all the rotations we have,” Glover said. “Just having everyone ready and wanting the ball makes things easier as an attacker.”

ASU carried its momentum into the third set with four straight points, two of which came from senior outside hitter Bailey Miller. 

While the Sun Devils’ defense was the star of the show, the offense that closed out the set, with Glover picking up the match-winning kill in a 25-16 win. 

Glover led ASU with 17 kills on Wednesday, and did so with a 0.696 hitting percentage, the highest mark in her Sun Devil career.

“It’s really just about being a versatile attacker,” Glover said. “Being able to hit all the shots on the court, tip around the court, keep defenders guessing and just be all over the board.”

With the regular season dwindling, the Sun Devils don’t control their own destiny in the Big 12 conference, as the Colorado Buffaloes hold the top spot in a tiebreaker. With the NCAA playoffs approaching, ASU cannot afford another setback, such as its loss to Iowa State.

“Just have to take it each day at a time, one game at a time,” Lomigora said. “We took care of business and now it’s onto the next. We just have to come in ready to work and be intentional with every rep we take.”