(Photo: Sammy Nute/WCSN)
TEMPE – Freshly named as the No. 9 team in the nation in the NCAA rankings, its highest under head coach JJ Van Niel, Arizona State Volleyball enters this week’s road trip atop the Big 12 Conference standings.
The Sun Devils (24-2, 12-1) head east as winners of 12 straight matches to face the West Virginia Mountaineers (8-15, 2-10) on Thursday before stopping at Cincinnati to face the Bearcats (13-10, 4-8) on Saturday.
Arizona State is rolling after vanquishing then No.8 Kansas and its in-state rival Kansas State to claim the Big 12’s top spot. Stalwart defense, courtesy of graduate middle blocker Claire Jeter, helped the Sun Devils stave off two potent offenses in each of the wins last week. Jeter had seven blocks against the Jayhawks and tied her career-high with nine against the Wildcats, earning her Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. As a team, Arizona State has double-digit blocks in three straight games, a trend it looks to continue on the road this week.
Heading to West Virginia for the first time since 1989, and just the second time ever, the Sun Devils meet a Mountaineers squad that is working out the kinks in year one of new head coach Jen Greeny’s tenure in Morgantown. Even still, Greeny is plenty familiar to Arizona State thanks to her 13 seasons leading ASU senior setter Argentina Ung and the Washington State Cougars in the Pac-12 Conference. Greeny led the Cougars to eight consecutive NCAA tournaments from 2016 to 2023, and finished each of the last four seasons with her team in the Top-25.
Though they have lost four straight, Greeny’s Mountaineers have the offensive ability to challenge ASU’s hot defense. Redshirt junior outside hitter Cassidy Tanton leads the way for West Virginia with team-highs in kills with 310 and service aces with 34. The North Carolina native transferred from Auburn ahead of the 2024 season and has quickly become a critical piece for the Mountaineers.
While Tanton leads West Virginia in aces, the Mountaineers’ 150 total service aces are good for second in the Big 12, only behind the Sun Devils. West Virginia’s serving strength will meet Arizona State’s stout reception defense, featuring a .955 reception percentage and 0.75 reception errors per set.
In addition to Tanton and the serving offense, the Mountaineers boast four players with triple-digit kills, including junior middle blocker Laila Ibrahim, who is third on the team with 146. The 6-foot-1 Ibrahim is in her second year with West Virginia after transferring from Coppin State University in Baltimore after the 2022 season. Ibrahim, who hails from Alberta, Canada, has also been a key part of the Mountaineers’ defense, as she leads the team with 99 blocks in 2024.
Ibrahim and West Virginia’s defense face a tall order containing Arizona State’s multi-faceted attack, led by the red-hot senior outside hitter Geli Cyr. Cyr notched 27 combined kills last week against Kansas and Kansas State, and now sits at 320 on the season, eight shy of her single-season best 328. Averaging 4.09 kills per set, Sun Devils fans could watch Cyr eclipse that mark on Thursday in Morgantown.
After its visit to West Virginia, Arizona State goes head-to-head with the Cincinnati Bearcats for the first time in Ohio on Saturday. The Sun Devils are 2-0 all-time against Cincinnati, with the first match held in Tempe and the second in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2008 and 2009, respectively.
At the helm of this young Bearcats squad is 13th year head coach Molly Alvey. Alvey has led Cincinnati to three NCAA tournament appearances, making it as far as the Sweet 16 while adding to her overall record of 262-212.
Cincinnati’s 2024 roster features three potent outside hitters, junior Carly Glendinning along with two underclassmen: sophomore Sydney Nolan and freshman Fallon Stewart. Glendinning leads the Bearcats with 300 kills, a feat she also accomplished as a freshman in 2022. This year is by far Glendinning’s most efficient, as her .248 hitting percentage in 2024 outpaces her .193 career mark.
Glendinning, Nolan and Stewart stand as testament to Alvey’s recent recruiting success. Part of back-to-back recruiting classes in 2023 and 2024, the underclassmen have showcased their offensive potential this season. Nolan and Stewart’s combined 388 kills force opposing defenses to account for the young hitters on every play, combining with Glendinning to form an effective attack at the net.
Additionally, Cincinnati is a strong defensive presence at the net, ranking among the top five in the Big 12 for blocks per set with 2.26. The Bearcats have used a rotation of middle blockers, including senior Abby Walker and sophomores Ligia Williams and Zeta Washington, to help stop opponents’ attacks.
Despite starting the season 9-2 in non-conference play, Cincinnati has struggled in the Big 12 play, going 4-8 in those contests. The Bearcats have been better of late, going 2-3 in their last five games, but host tough opponents in Arizona on Thursday and Arizona State on Saturday.
