ASU looks to advance to Elite Eight for first time in program history

(Photo: Madison Sorenson/WCSN)

For a program on the heels of three consecutive losing seasons, 2023 marked a turning point for Arizona State volleyball. Head coach JJ Van Niel was hired to lead the team and took the Sun Devils to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1995, a sign of things to come for Van Niel, who has become ASU volleyball’s most successful coach with a winning percentage of 86.8 percent.

Two years later, the No. 2 seeded Sun Devils (28-3, 17-1 Big 12) arrived at that same destination with the hopes of advancing this time, following a sweep of Coppin State in the first round and a four-set win over Utah State in the second.

Only redshirt sophomore setter Brynn Covell, junior outside hitter Jillian Neal and senior libero Estella Zatechka were on that 2023 squad, and neither Covell nor Neal had a significant role. In 2025, Covell became ASU’s secondary setter behind senior Sydney Henry, and Neal played over 100 sets providing a physical presence up front.

Neal and Covell’s improvements are a microcosm of the Sun Devils’ shifting environment. Van Niel described the 2024 squad’s primary focus as “ball control”, managing games on a possession-to-possession basis. This year, the influx of several transfers has completely changed the team dynamic.

“The biggest difference is we’re a lot more physical than we were,” Van Niel said. “You can see it on our blocks per set and how physical some of our attackers are, that’s (been) different.”

The biggest addition, of course, has been junior opposite hitter Noemie Glover, recently named the Big 12 Player of the Year. Henry and graduate middle blocker Colby Neal have also been central in ASU’s success, especially against heightened competition.

With eight top-25 wins this season, the Sun Devils have faced high-leverage moments before. Since getting swept by Texas in mid-September, ASU hasn’t dropped a game against a ranked opponent, eking out numerous five-set wins throughout the year.

“We tell them to put it in their confidence piggy bank every time we do something special, and those are the things that you remind them about,” Van Niel said, referring to victories over No. 18 Kansas and No. 22 Colorado. “We’ve been here and we can do it.”

Beyond facing tougher opponents, the pressure increases with every passing round, internally and from the fans. ASU won’t have the luxury of playing in front of its home crowd, but the Sun Devils feel that a potentially raucous environment will bring out the best in them.

“To me, it gets even more emotionally invested like ‘I really want this’, and I know that everybody else really wants this,” Colby said. “The stakes when they’re higher, it just means so much more.”

Standing in ASU’s aspiration of reaching the Elite Eight for the first time in program history is the No. 3 seed Creighton (27-5, 16-0 Big East), currently on a 22-game win streak heading into Lexington.

The name ASU has circled on its drawing board is senior outside hitter Ava Martin, the Big East Player of the Year, who led the Bluejays with nearly 4.5 kills per set. Martin has 87 kills in her last four games, posing the biggest threat of anyone on the outside.

“She can hit so many amazing shots, and she’s a really versatile player,” Colby said. “Just being able to be prepared for that is something that’s a little bit new for us but super exciting at the same time.”

Colby, along with Glover, was part of an Oregon side that fell 2-3 to No. 1 seeded Pitt in the regionals last year, adding fuel to the fire. Getting over that hump won’t just require physical dominance and tactical brilliance but internal motivation that arises from “knowing how close (they) were,” according to Colby.

Pressure is a word often thrown around in win-or-go-home positions like the one the Sun Devils are in, but the team’s approach isn’t necessarily to take that term head on. Van Niel’s turnaround of the program hasn’t been predicated on one game or set but rather changing the culture around the organization.

“The biggest (lesson) for me when I think about coaching them is reminding them to embrace the moment and have fun,” Van Niel said. “Pressure is a privilege, it’s really corny, but it is true and I’m having to remind myself … to be grateful that you actually are even in this opportunity.”