TEMPE – The No. 8 Arizona State volleyball team is making noise on a national stage.
With a sweep over No. 16 Baylor (26–24, 27–25, 25–23) at Desert Financial Arena Wednesday night, the Sun Devils improve to 3-2 against ranked opponents and remain undefeated at home. They hope to enhance those numbers at 7 p.m. Friday when they host No. 24 Colorado.
The win extended ASU’s streak of dominance in Tempe, where Baylor has never earned a victory since ASU joined the Big 12 conference.
Success came after a week of centered preparation and resilience.
Coach JJ Van Niel believes the Sun Devils’ dominance this season has been built on adaptability through adversity.
“Resilient is probably the first thing I’d say about this group,” Van Niel said recently. “We’ve bounced lineups around more than usual because of injuries, but I’m proud of how they’ve handled it.”
That adaptability was evident again Wednesday night.
From the opening serve, the Sun Devils displayed the same discipline they had honed in practice. While Baylor scored first, ASU quickly settled in by using strong defensive transitions and setting from Sydney Henry to find its rhythm.
Henry, a senior setter and transfer from Kansas City Roos, has become a central leader for the team. She led the team with 28 assists.
“As a setter, I just want to get all my hitters in rhythm, no matter the pass, no matter the situation,” she said. “We’re trying to put everyone in the best scenario possible.”
Henry’s steady hand guided an offense that spread production across multiple hitters. Noemie Glover’s 15 kills and Bailey Miller’s nine kills led the charge with balanced attacks.
Last week, Tatum Parrott, a transfer from Grand Canyon University, said she had been emphasizing her defensive growth for the team.
“It’s not as much of a load on me offensively here,” she said. “So I’ve been able to focus on defense, just having that ‘go’ mentality and going for everything.”
That mentality translated to several clutch digs and defensive saves in the opening set. After a reversed challenge gave ASU momentum, Parrott’s late kill and Bailey Miller’s ace closed out a tight 26-24 first set win.
Set two showed the Sun Devils’ composure under pressure. The score was tied more than 10 times before ASU’s front line, led by the Neal sisters, Colby and Jillian, came alive.
Back-to-back blocks from the duo sealed the 27-25 set victory.
“We talked in the timeout about needing to get our block going,” Colby Neal said. “That’s something I take personally as a middle. Getting those touches change everything.”
ASU jumped to a 10-3 lead in the third set, but had to face a Baylor rally that tied the score at 20-20. Between Miller’s late kills, Henry’s defensive poise, and the “monster” blocks from the Neal sisters, Sun Devils closed it out 25-23 sending the crowd, including ASU’s men’s swim team cheering in their speedos, into celebration.
The night also held deeper meaning as the program hosted its annual Mental Health Awareness Week, a reminder of the team’s focus on communication, unity and positivity through challenges.
The Neal sisters said this game was about avenging last year’s loss to Baylor in Waco.
“There were moments of frustration,” Colby Neal said. “But we stayed connected, that’s something we’ve been working on since preseason.”
Van Niel praised his team’s poise afterward, emphasizing that its success lies in discipline, not ranking.
“Any top-50 team can beat you on any night,” he said. “So we just focus on what’s next.”
With the sweep, Arizona State improved to 13-2 and strengthened its place among the top programs in the country. The Sun Devils will look to carry that same resilience against Colorado. A victory would improve Van Niel’s record at home to 30-2.
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