Just one week ago on Sept. 10, Arizona State took its worst loss in the JJ Van Niel era, falling to upset-minded UC Davis in four sets.

However, it didn’t take long for the Sun Devils to find themselves playing spoiler against a power-conference opponent.

No. 12 ASU (8‑2) controlled the match the whole way against No. 8 Stanford (5‑3) on Thursday, Sept. 17, sweeping the Cardinal to kick off the SLO Classic at the Mott Athletic Center in San Luis Obispo, Calif.  

Stanford kept the third set close, but an explosive swing from senior opposite hitter Noemie Glover locked up a 26-24 win for the Sun Devils, sealing the sweep and ASU’s second top-10 win of the season.

The last time the Sun Devils swept Stanford came all the way back in 2023, when both teams were a part of the Pac-12.

ASU graduate outside hitter Aniya Clinton dominated on the left side of the court, finishing the evening with 15 kills on an impressive .522 hit percentage and two blocks.

Thursday marked Clinton’s best game as a Sun Devil, topping her previous season-high marks in both kills and hit percentage.

Glover also got in on the fun, recording 14 kills along with two blocks.

Glover and Clinton both attended Thursday’s ASU block party, as five Sun Devils tallied two-plus blocks. Senior middle blocker Ella Lomigora led the charge with four blocks.

Junior outside hitter Una Vajagić, one of ASU’s five with multiple blocks on the evening, locked up her eighth game this season with double-digit kills, racking up 15 in the win.

Vajagić also collected 14 digs, good for her second double-double in as many games.

While the trio of Clinton, Glover and Vajagić spearheaded the offensive attack for the Sun Devils, they also helped to keep Stanford’s strongest attacker, senior opposite hitter Jordan Harvey, at bay.

Harvey, a dominant and physical offensive player for the Cardinal, struggled to get around ASU’s big blocks from the front row throughout the match. 

As a result, Harvey, Stanford’s leader in kills this season with 85, pivoted by making swings from the back row to help keep the Cardinal within striking distance of ASU. 

That move paid dividends, as Harvey finished with a season-high 18 kills in the loss.

Still, the Sun Devils limited Stanford’s offensive production, with no other Cardinal player recording more than 10 kills.

From the first serve, ASU played an energetic brand of volleyball, instantly making it a challenge for the Cardinal on every point. 

To end set one, junior middle blocker Zoey Burgess put up a huge solo block against freshman middle blocker Ella Andrews to get the Sun Devils fired up for the rest of the match.  

Freshman setter Elle Mottola facilitated the dominance of the front row, totaling a season-high 45 assists in just three sets of work.

Throughout the match, Mottola set the ball over in out‑of‑system plays, constantly catching the Stanford blockers off-balance and forcing errors. 

With an impressive win under its belt, ASU looks ahead to a matchup with host school Cal Poly Friday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. in hopes to extend its win streak to four games.