In its first match of the season, No. 12 ASU women's volleyball took the court by storm with a dominant performance against No. 2 Texas, besting the Longhorns 3-1.
The Sun Devils' impressive start is bolstered by the fact that the team previously lost to Texas in three sets during the 2025 season.
Upsetting a top-ranked team for the squad's first outing certainly sets a competitive tone for the season. Even so, senior opposite hitter Noemie Glover shared that she and her teammates never doubted that they had the ability to beat the Longhorns leading up to the match.
"It's been a moment that we were all looking forward to," Glover said. "The whole week, we were like, 'We're going to go in there, and we're going to beat Texas.'"
Senior middle blocker Ella Lomigora similarly felt the first game served as a moment for the team to know that they "can do so much more" and represented "only the beginning" of an exciting and promising season.
READ MORE: In her first year at ASU, Ella Lomigora shows value on and off the court
The 2026-27 roster is composed of a mix of returning and veteran Sun Devils — in particular Glover, Lomigora, senior outside hitter Jillian Neal and junior libero Piper Rama — who provide helpful experience to the freshmen and newcomers to the program.
The offseason also saw international additions to the roster, with junior outside hitter Una Vajagić hailing from Serbia and freshman setter Živa Labinjan joining the team from Slovenia. These new factors add a European flare to the Sun Devils' style of play, marking a noteworthy change for this upcoming season.
"It's really cool to see European international playing style mixed in with all of our tendencies," Lomigora said. "It makes our system really, really fun and our volleyball really fun to watch."
Glover shared that transfers and freshmen alike entered the program with "such an open mind," putting in the work to make for a seamless transition to the Sun Devils squad. To head coach JJ Van Niel, freshman setter Elle Mottola particularly stood out in her blocking and defending during the first match, with her efforts leading to her winning the AVCA MVP of the Match.
However, the team's returners were the driving forces that kept the heat in the desert and ensured dominance for the 2026-27 season opener.
Glover achieved a double-double with 10 digs and 13 kills. Defensively, junior libero Faith Frame also made double digits with 15 digs, while Lomigora and junior middle blocker Zoey Burgess combined for 13 blocks.
The competitive edge and lived experience that the returning Sun Devils bring is obvious both in practice and after the opening match.
"The returners are doing a nice job of setting the tone," Van Niel said. "This is how we do things. This is why we do it that way."
The athletes and coaches, though proud of this victory, remind themselves there is no resting on their laurels after this early dominance. The Sun Devils constantly seek to improve their play and look toward future matches with the same ferocity that they brought against Texas.
"We're striving for more," Lomigora said. "The coaches are doing a great job keeping us forward-focused, but we're also reiterating the fact to each other."
This season will present a serious challenge for Sun Devil volleyball, with the schedule featuring match-ups against top-25 schools Minnesota and the University of Southern California.
However, with new additions to the team, extra depth in the roster and an unflinching desire for greatness, the team is ready to take on every battle the season has to offer.
"Every team we play is going to give us their best," Van Niel said. "We gotta be ready to go compete nonstop."
Edited by Alex Swift, Alan Deutschendorf and Sophia Keeling.
Reach the reporter at bcsmit41@asu.edu.
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Brooklyn Smith is a reporter for the Sports desk at The State Press. She is majoring in English Literature and Economics. This is her third semester with The State Press.
