No. 9 Arizona State Beats Utah With Season-High 18 Blocks

No. 9 Arizona State secured its ninth victory in the series against Utah with a 3-1 win on Sunday afternoon, fueled by a defensive performance that left the Utes struggling to find any rhythm.

The Sun Devils dominated the Desert Financial Arena, recording a season-high 18 blocks to dismantle Utah in sets of 25-6, 25-13, 24-26, and 25-17, according to thesundevils.com.

The sheer scale of the defensive dominance was evident from the opening whistle. Arizona State’s net presence held Utah to a .024 hitting percentage, marking the fourth match in which the Sun Devils restricted an opponent to a sub-.100 clip. This level of suppression is becoming a hallmark of the current season, as it represents the ninth time an opponent has hit under the .100 mark against them.

Ella Lomigora leads the net charge

Senior middle blocker Ella Lomigora anchored the defensive effort, tallying 10 blocks to tie her career high. Her performance also matched the highest number of blocks she has recorded while at ASU and established a new season high. Lomigora’s 10 block assists also tied for the third-most individual block assists in a single match during the rally-scoring era at Arizona State.

The 18-block team total stands as the ninth-highest in the ASU record book for the rally-scoring era and represents the most blocks the program has recorded in a single match since 2015. Within the Big 12, this figure ties for the fifth-best block total recorded by any team this season. The Sun Devils have now recorded double-digit blocks in 12 matches this year.

“We were able to hold a really good offensive team to .024 hitting percentage with 18 blocks, so I’m proud of the team and excited with how we played,” head coach JJ Van Niel said.

The efficiency of the defense was complemented by a high-octane offense led by senior opposite Noemie Glover. Glover recorded 23 kills on a .476 hitting percentage, marking her 20th match this season with double-digit kills. She also contributed a season-high eight blocks during the contest.

The statistical breakdown of the key offensive and defensive contributors is as follows:

Player	Position	Key Statistic	Context
Noemie Glover	Senior Opposite	23 Kills	Second match in double figures
Ella Lomigora	Senior Middle Blocker	10 Blocks	Tied career high and season high
Una Vajagić	Junior Outside Hitter	12 Kills	Fourth match in double digits
Isabella Costantini	Senior Setter	39 Assists	Seventh time this season with 30+ assists
Faith Frame	Junior Libero	11 Digs	15th time this season with double-digit digs
Zoey Burgess	Junior Middle Blocker	7 Blocks	Tied career high

A dominant start meets a third-set struggle

The first set provided the most decisive margin of victory for the Sun Devils this season. The 25-6 win lasted only 13 minutes and matched the 25-6 scoreline seen last season against Texas Tech on November 5. Arizona State opened with a 5-0 run driven by Isabella Costantini’s serves before extending the lead to 20-3 behind a nine-point run.

Freshman libero Paige Lehman served four aces in the opening frame, a career high. This performance made her one of only three Sun Devils to record four or more aces in a single match this season.

While the first two sets were controlled by Arizona State, the third set saw Utah find a way to disrupt the momentum. Despite Glover and Lomigora helping the team fight off three set points to tie the score at 24-24, ASU suffered from errors that allowed Utah to take the set 26-24.

Lomigora noted that the team had to “dial back in” during huddles to ensure they were playing at their own speed rather than letting Utah dictate the rhythm.

The Sun Devils responded in the fourth set, utilizing a strong attack to pull away. Burgess and Glover each recorded two kills during an early six-point run, and the team eventually secured the set 25-17 behind back-to-back blocks to close out the match.

This victory moves Arizona State to a 20-4 overall record and an 11-2 mark in Big 12 play. Under head coach JJ Van Niel, the program has secured 20 wins in a season for the fourth year, marking the sixth time the team has reached that milestone this century.

The Sun Devils now shift their focus to a high-stakes rivalry game in Tucson. Arizona State is scheduled to face Arizona on Sunday, November 15.

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