Arizona State sweeps Stanford 3-0: The power of multi-pronged attacking

Arizona State produced one of the most impressive wins of the 2026 NCAA Division I women's volleyball season by sweeping Stanford – ranked No. 8 nationally – 3-0 at the San Luis Obispo Classic. The sets ended 25-19, 25-21 and 26-24, with the third set featuring a dramatic comeback by the team from Arizona. The win marked Arizona State's fourth victory over a ranked opponent in just four matches this season. From the first set, the difference was clear. Arizona State out-hit Stanford 15-10 in kills. The highlight was senior outside hitter Aniya Clinton posting 15 kills on .522 hitting – an excellent figure against a quality blocker. But the real strength came from balance: all three ASU hitters (Clinton, Una Vajagic, Noemie Glover) reached at least 14 kills, forcing Stanford's block to cover multiple zones at once. Vajagic, a summer transfer from Wisconsin, has quickly become a key piece. She ranks second on the team with 124 kills, just behind Glover's 126. Freshman setter Elle Mottola recorded a career-high 45 assists, her second 40-plus assist match of the season. Stanford's Jordyn Harvey led all players with 18 kills on .455 hitting but lacked secondary support – a classic single-point dependency problem. ASU's 12 total blocks and composure in the crucial moments (erasing Stanford's 24-23 lead in set three) sealed the sweep. This win gives ASU four ranked victories already, halfway to last season's program record of eight. Head coach JJ Van Niel now has 20 ranked wins in four seasons, including six vs. top-10 teams, confirming a genuine program ascent rather than a fluke. Still, a prior loss to unranked UC Davis and an upcoming match with Cal Poly on September 18 remain a consistency test for this young, rising core.