No. 9 Arizona State (10-3, 1-1 Big 12) started rough in Big 12 play earlier this weekend, but bounced back, winning in a hard-fought four-set match against Cincinnati (7-5, 0-2 Big 12) on Sunday, Sept. 27.

The deciding fourth set was neck-and-neck between the Sun Devils and Bearcats, with neither team jumping out to a clear lead until ASU opened up a 6-0 run to seal the deal on the road.   

The first two sets of the match painted a very different picture, with the Sun Devils taking commanding wins while holding the Bearcats offense to a negative hitting percentage in both sets. 

Three takeaways from Sunday’s win:

Glover and Vajagić: The two-headed desert dragon

The reigning Big 12 Player of the year, senior opposite hitter Noemie Glover, thrived in tandem with junior outside hitter Una Vajagić to total 37 kills, 22 digs and nine blocks combined and propel ASU to the victory.

Glover herself collected a season-high 23 kills and team-high seven blocks to bolster an already stalwart Sun Devils front line. 

Vajagić proved to be pivotal in the latter half of the match, leading ASU on its crucial 6-0 run in the fourth set and finishing with 14 kills and 12 digs.

With their performances on Sunday, Vajagić and Glover both extended their own streaks of games with 10-plus kills to seven.

Schalk’s sophomore breakout

Up until Sunday, sophomore outside hitter Maéva Schalk struggled to find a vast amount of playing time, only appearing in nine sets in the Sun Devils’ first 12 contests. 

Sunday was a different story, though, as Schalk got her chance and made the most of it, nearly putting up her first double-double of the campaign with 11 kills and nine digs. 

On a day where only three ASU attackers tallied seven-plus kills, Schalk provided a much-needed tertiary threat to complement Vajagić and Glover. 

With career highs in kills, digs, and hitting percentage on Sunday, Schalk will likely be utilized by Sun Devils head coach JJ Van Niel more often as ASU ventures further into conference play. 

Ligia Williams: A bright spot for the Bearcats

The Cincinnati offense struggled mightily in the first two sets, but found a late charge that turned into a much-needed win in the third set. 

Fifth-year middle blocker Ligia Williams played a huge role in the Bearcats’ rally, coming up with big kills and blocks was a key factor in keeping Cincinnati within striking distance and pushing the match to four sets. 

Williams ended up with 10 kills on Sunday, joining senior outside hitter Sydney Nolan and freshman opposite hitter Nina Scrucca as the only Bearcats with double-digit kills in the loss. 

Looking ahead, conference play continues for both teams, with Cincinnati flying down to the Lone Star State to face Houston on Friday, Oct. 2. 

The Sun Devils will make their way back home to face off against Iowa State on Sunday, Oct. 4, kicking off a four-game homestand at Desert Financial Arena.