No. 10 ASU Volleyball Hosts UCF and Houston at Desert Financial Arena
No. 10 Sun Devil Volleyball returns to Desert Financial Arena this week, taking on UCF on Friday, October 30, followed by Houston on Sunday, November 1, thesundevils.com reported. The matches mark the team’s return home after a split road trip that brought a win at Utah and a loss to BYU.
Heading into the weekend matches, Arizona State holds a 16-4 overall record and a 7-2 mark in Big 12 play. The team sits at 6-1 when hosting opponents at Desert Financial Arena this season, with home wins that include victories over No. 8 TCU, No. 23 Colorado, and No. 24 Oregon, according to thesundevils.com.
Arizona State Seeks Recovery After BYU Defeat
The Sun Devils arrive at this weekend’s homestand looking to rebound from a 3-1 loss to then-No. 11 BYU that snapped a seven-match win streak. Prior to that setback, Arizona State secured a 3-1 victory against Utah, marking the program’s eighth-straight series win versus the Utes.
Individual milestones highlighted the recent road swing. Senior opposite hitter Noemie Glover surpassed 1,000 career kills during the match against BYU, finishing with 13 kills to extend her streak of double-digit kill matches to 14. Glover also recorded her third double-double of the season against Utah with 23 kills and 11 digs. Junior libero Faith Frame contributed 13 digs against BYU and 11 against Utah, reaching double digits in her last four matches. Sophomore outside hitter Maéva Schalk added a career-high 13 kills in the BYU loss and notched nine kills, 13 digs, and five blocks against Utah. Junior outside hitter Una Vajagić enters the weekend on a run of nine double-doubles across her last 12 matches, with seven coming in her last nine appearances.
UCF and Houston Bring Conference Records to Tempe
Friday’s opponent, UCF, enters the match with an 11-8 overall record and a 3-6 conference standing after picking up wins against Texas Tech and West Virginia. Arizona State holds an all-time 3-0 record against the Knights, having swept them in straight sets in Orlando during the 2025 season. The matchup also features a familial connection: Sun Devil freshman setter Elle Mottola’s mother, Emily Mottola, was inducted into the UCF Hall of Fame last weekend as a former setter who holds the program’s career assists record with 5,923.
The Sun Devils drop two spots in the AVCA rankings to No. 10 following a four-set loss to then-No. 11 BYU.ASU has two home games this week, on Friday vs. UCF and Sunday vs. Houston.@CronkiteSports https://t.co/vaOd1dKP5G
Houston comes to Tempe on Sunday with a 12-8 record and a 5-4 mark in the Big 12 following a win over Iowa State and a loss to No. 24 Baylor. Arizona State leads the all-time series 6-2, having won both matchups since joining the Big 12, including a four-set victory on the road last season that clinched the Big 12 regular-season title.
UCF and Houston Matches Feature Giveaways and ESPN+ Broadcasts
Friday’s contest against UCF begins at 7 p.m. MST, featuring LED glasses for fans 12 and under alongside a Monster Block shoe charm giveaway. Sunday’s match against Houston starts at 1 p.m. MST with a bandana giveaway scheduled for Country Night. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live statistics available and real-time updates posted on X at @SunDevilVB and Instagram at @sundevilvolleyball. Free parking for attendees is designated in Lot 59, while the parking structure requires paid parking.
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