No. 13 Sun Devils open with high profile national TV matches
By Jeff Metcalfe
JJ Van Niel knows how to adapt and succeed.
He’s done it so skillfully with Arizona State volleyball that the Sun Devils had the fifth best record (58-10) nationally over 2023 and ’24 and were one loss shy of a second consecutive NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 berth.
Van Niel’s 2025 makeover is even more extreme due to the departure of seven key players from a 30-3 Big 12-champion team. Along with 11 new players, out of 19, ASU will be playing a different style than the fast-paced offense predicated on ball control.
“It’s a much more physical team than I’ve ever had since I’ve been here,” Van Niel said. “It’s a fun challenge for our staff because it’s definitely going to be a different brand of volleyball. More physical, focusing a little more on defense and blocking because we’ve got big kids.”
Five of the newcomers are 6-2 or taller including Noemie Glover and Colby Neal, starters for Oregon’s Sweet 16 team last season, and Maeva Schalk, who has played with the French national team and before that on junior national teams.
Glover was on the U.S. gold medal-winning team at the U21 Pan American Cup in July. She and Faith Frame, a libero transfer from Cincinnati, are on the Big 12 preseason team.
Oregon was seventh nationally last year in total blocks so presumably ASU can expect a big jump from its No. 121 ranking.
“We’ve got some great blocks coming up ahead,” said Glover, a right-side hitter, of her combination with middle blocker Neal. “In practice, everyone is saying the block is super high level right now and that’s what we love to bring. We both touch really high, we’re both super athletic so it’s fun to block next to her.”
ASU has enough middle and right-side depth to run a 6-2 offense employing setters, Brynn Covell and transfer Sydney Henry (formerly UMKC). Or Van Niel might opt for a single setter like in 2023 (Shannon Shields) and 2024 (Argentina Ung).
“If we were in a 6-2, our whole front line would be massive,” Van Niel said. “There’s a ball control piece to that.”
With Mary Shroll, Geli Cyr and Shania Cromartie gone, ASU has much to prove in serve receive, digs and overall defense. Also the Sun Devils could be pressed to match their 2024 serving when they led the Big 12 in aces although top server Jillian Neal is back.
Frame and freshman Maila Ribeiro from Brazil are competing for starting libero, supported by a number of defensive specialists.
So too is outside hitter Bailey Miller, a 2024 transfer from West Virginia who is projected to have a much bigger role this season.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever coached a kid that’s worked this hard,” Van Niel said of 6-3 Miller. “She’s put on six inches on her vertical. Since December, all she’s done is find ways to play volleyball and work out. She’s been very dedicated.”
With increased national visibility for his program, Van Niel isn’t ducking opportunities even with a largely new team.
ASU opens at Northern Iowa on Friday then defending national champion/No. 2 Penn State on Sunday and No. 3 Pittsburgh on Monday. The latter two, both in Pittsburgh, will be nationally televised.
“Whatever happens, it doesn’t really matter,” Van Niel said. “We get to play in a big crowd on TV and that only helps us later in the season. You don’t win a championship in the first matches, but you learn some stuff.”
BYU and Kansas are ranked ahead of ASU in the Big 12 preseason poll although the Sun Devils are the highest rated from the conference in coaches national rankings.
Glover knows what a national contender looks like and believes ASU fits that criteria.
“It’s really about showing it off when it matters,” she said. “We have some great matches at the beginning of the season to see where we’re at then grind through the conference. The one thing we’ve been focused on is how can we have depth to raise the bar of what we want and what our expectations are.”
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