HOUSTON – No. 9 Sun Devil Volleyball is the 2025 Big 12 Regular Season Champion following a win at Houston (25-14, 20-25, 25-18, 25-16) on Friday night, winning the second conference title in program history.
Arizona State (24-3, 15-1 Big 12) wins the Big 12 in back-to-back seasons after earning the championship in its first season in the conference last year. This is the fourth Big 12 title across all sports for ASU in just its second season in the conference.
"It’s really special, especially to do with a brand new starting lineup," said head coach JJ Van Niel on winning the Big 12 title. "I’m really proud of the kids, the way they've come in and fought and worked really hard to improve every single day. It’s really special, it’s a special group.”
Volleyball is one of seven Sun Devil athletic programs to have won conference championships in consecutive seasons, joining baseball, men’s golf, women’s golf, men’s swim and dive, women’s track and field, and wrestling. Men’s swimming is the most recent, having won three straight from 2023-2025.
Arizona State is one of four current volleyball programs in the league to win a Big 12 title (also Baylor, Kansas and Kansas State). Additionally, the Sun Devils earn the Big 12's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The complete list of Arizona State conference championships can be found on the championships page. For the Big 12's release, head to the conference website.
Notable stats
- Arizona State (24-3, 15-1 Big 12) beat Houston (8-19, 1-15 Big 12) to earn its 24th win of the year, which ties for the fifth-most wins in the program's single-season history.
- With 12 blocks tonight, ASU has had double-digit blocks in the last eight consecutive matches. This season, the Sun Devils have had 18 matches with double-digit team blocks, including 13 of 16 Big 12 matches. Middle blockers Colby Neal and Ella Lomigora led the effort with seven and five, respectively.
- Returning to her home state, senior outside hitter Bailey Miller earned a double-double with 14 kills (.367) and 15 digs. This is her 12th match in a row with double-digit kills. It is also her 10th double-double of the year and 26th of her career.
- Junior opposite Noemie Glover had 14 kills to lead all players. It was her 16th match in a row in double figures in kills. She also had five blocks.
- Senior outside hitter Tatum Parrott also notched a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs. It is her third double-double of the year and her second match in a row with double-digit kills.
- Sophomore libero Faith Frame led the defense in the back row with 17 digs, her 15th match with double-digit digs this year.
Set one: ASU 25, Houston 14
Following a close start to the match, the Sun Devils scored three in a row to go up 10-6, capped off by a block from Colby Neal and Kiylah Presley. The Cougars responded with three in a row of their own to get within one until a serve error ended the run. Kills from Parrott and Miller made it a 15-11 lead after a 3-1 ASU run. Arizona State won the set on a 9-2 run with four kills from Miller and with Ella Lewis serving for the last six in a row, taking it 25-14. Miller had six kills in the first set.
Set two: Houston 25, ASU 20
Houston jumped out to a 3-1 lead to start the second frame. Another run of three for the Cougars made it 9-5. The Sun Devils cut into the lead by scoring three in a row with two kills from Miller, making it an 11-9 deficit. After some back and forth, Houston notched four-straight points to push its lead to 18-12, forcing an ASU timeout. Down 23-17, Sydney Henry served the Sun Devils to a 3-0 run to bring out a Cougar timeout. The comeback effort came up short, Houston winning 25-20.
Set three: ASU 25, Houston 18
Like the second set, Houston led early again, leading 5-3 after a 3-1 run. Three-straight points from the Cougars made it 10-7, forcing an early timeout from the Sun Devils. A 4-1 Houston run pushed its lead to 15-11, causing Arizona State’s second timeout. Three kills from Glover helped the Sun Devils score four in a row and take the lead at 17-16, Jillian Neal serving during the run and earning an ace. A run of three with two kills from Parrott pushed the lead to 20-17. Then a 5-0 run with two kills from Presley won the set, 25-18.
Set four: ASU 25, Houston 16
The Sun Devils carried the momentum over to the fourth set, leading 5-2 after an ace from Miller. Houston tied it up at 6-6 after scoring three in a row, but ASU responded with four-straight points to go up 10-6. It was back and forth for the last half of the set until two-straight kills from Glover pushed Arizona State’s lead to 22-16, bringing Houston’s final timeout. The run grew to 5-0 to win the set, 25-16, and the match.
Up next
Arizona State will now close out the regular season at home, hosting Cincinnati on Wednesday, Nov. 26, before conducting Senior Day festivities on Saturday, Nov. 29 against West Virginia. The team will celebrate its Big 12 title following the Saturday's match. Tickets can be purchased on the website.
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Quotes
Head Coach JJ Van Niel
On what this accomplishment means to him:
“We’re on the map. We’ve been doing a nice job these last few years. It’s really special, especially to do with a brand new starting lineup. I’m really proud of the kids, the way they've come in and fought and worked really hard to improve every single day. It’s really special, it’s a special group.”
On what he is proud of with this team:
“How intentional they have been at improving their craft. It is one of the most intentional groups I’ve ever gotten to coach. Even veterans like Colby coming in, she’s in her fifth year, she redshirted. To see how hard the veterans have worked and really everyone on our team every single day just grinding it out and really trying to be intentional about getting better and it's never good enough. I’m proud of them, they’ve worked really hard."
Senior Outside Hitter Bailey Miller
On winning the Big 12 Championship back-to-back:
“It’s so special. I obviously thought that we were going to be able to do it again, but to know that we have actually completed that and we had a basically completely new team with all our seniors graduating is cool. The younger people had to step up and so it’s really cool to be able to say that we are conference champions back to back. It’s super special”
On heading into the NCAA tournament:
“Really anything can happen. We’re really excited to start getting into the tournament. We know that there’s a really good chance that we’re going to host at least the first two rounds, so we’re really excited to get into it and show people what we’re made of. We’ve always been doubted, so I think that puts a chip on our shoulders. Especially going into the tournament I think anything is possible.”