TEMPE — Arizona State volleyball is in the middle of a season that is not just strong, it is historic. With one of their highest national rankings, one of the best win percentages in Division I and an undefeated home record, the No. 9 Sun Devils have built something that feels bigger than a single match, bigger than a single weekend. It feels like a turning point for the program.
What stands out most is how the rise has been built: not on one star, not on a single breakthrough, but on a sustained identity that’s taken shape piece by piece, physicality at the net, emotional maturity, deep trust and a culture that has steadily strengthened with every match.
Coach JJ Van Niel said he felt the shift the moment he stepped inside Desert Financial Arena before the Arizona match on Nov. 13, where a record 7,700 fans filled the building, the largest crowd in program history. They were treated to a 3-1 Sun Devils victory.
“I’m going to channel some inner Kenny (Dillingham) here, but 7,700 people was so sick,” Van Niel said, laughing. “We wanted to build something people would come out and support, and to see that many people, it was unbelievable.”
The moment represented what this season has become: something the fans feel, the players believe in and the program is growing into.
On the court, ASU’s rise has been defined by consistency. The Sun Devils are 22-3 overall, undefeated at home, and winners of four of their last five matches. But those numbers only scratch the surface of how far this roster has come.
Setter Sydney Henry said the team’s connection is at the center of their success.
“We’re all super connected and we have a lot of confidence in each other,” Henry said. “We practice being down and having to come back. You can feel how much we trust each other in those moments.”
Middle blocker Colby Neal has embodied the team’s development through the season.
“I had to change all my blocking footwork. I looked like a baby deer on ice at first,” Neal said. “But JJ pushes us to have high standards. When you start seeing the work pay off, it’s the best feeling.”
That blend of buy-in, hard work and culture is what Van Niel says has elevated this group beyond any he has coached.
“This is the most physical team I’ve had since I’ve been here, maybe ever,” Van Niel said. “They don’t worry about the score, they just get real points and get back into sets.”
ASU’s 3-1 win over Arizona Thursday was a reflection of the season-long identity they’ve built. Behind the record crowd, the Sun Devils controlled most of the match with defense and discipline, out-blocking Arizona 17-6 and holding the Wildcats to .092 hitting.
The most notable stats from this game were from Bailey Miller with 17 kills, Noemie Glover with 16 kills, Colby Neal with 10 kills and eight blocks and Sydney Henry with 44 assists, two aces and 11 digs.
Even when Arizona won the second set, the Sun Devils remained steady.
“When they took the second set, it was a bummer, but we’ve been there before,” Neal said. “We know how to handle it.”
ASU finished the match on an 8-1 run, the kind of composed response that has become routine this season.
Two nights later on Nov. 15, ASU had to win differently. On the road at Colorado, the Sun Devils were pushed to five sets, but their resilience and toughness carried them to the win. Glover led with a record 31 kills, Miller added 14, and Henry posted 50 assists, helping ASU hold Colorado to 0.174 hitting in the deciding set.
The team is on the road again this week going to UCF and Houston, and will finish the season off hosting Cincinnati Nov. 26 and West Virginia Nov. 29. Van Niel doesn’t talk about future games or tournament scenarios. He emphasizes how important it is to take one game at a time.
“It’s game by game. We recover, prepare and play the next one,” Van Niel said. “That’s been our mindset all year.”
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