TEMPE – The 2026 Sun Devil Volleyball squad is ready for the new season to begin on August 22, bringing back key starters as well as reloading with transfers and freshmen alike.
2025 season recap
In 2025, back-to-back Big 12 Champion Arizona State made it to the NCAA Regional Semifinal for the second time in the last three seasons (fourth overall) after another stellar season atop the conference. Despite an entirely new starting lineup, ASU had a 28-4 overall record (second in team history for winning percentage) with a 17-1 mark in conference play in 2025. The Sun Devils put together an impressive campaign that saw eight ranked wins, 12 sweeps and win streaks of 12 and 10.
The 28 wins accumulated this season tie for the second-most wins in program history this century and third-most all-time. For the second season in a row, the Sun Devils went undefeated at home in the regular season, extending their home win streak to 28-consecutive regular season matches. Additionally, Arizona State has a 36-1 regular-season home record under third-year head coach JJ Van Niel. The Sun Devils picked up two postseason wins at home during the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament, for which they were a host site for the second year in a row.
From last year’s roster, Arizona State returns four starters that played in the majority of matches in 2025. The team graduated two All-Americans and three additional starters. In total, ASU returned 10 from last year’s roster and gained 10 newcomers.
The full 2025 season recap can be seen on the team page.
Schedule
For the schedule breakdown, the full schedule release can be found on the team page. Arizona State will host 12 matches, including the Snyder-Park Classic from September 10-12 in Desert Financial Arena.
Breakdown by position
Outside hitters
The Sun Devils return two outside hitters from 2025: senior Jillian Neal and sophomore Maéva Schalk. Neal has played primarily as a serving specialist throughout her career, wearing the second libero jersey for most of 2025 to serve. She has 69 aces in her career. Schalk did not play in 2025 due to injury.
Arizona State brings in three outside hitters: graduate Aniya Clinton, junior Una Vajagic and freshman Grace Martin. Clinton is a transfer from Kansas State where she was Second Team All-Big 12 in 2025. Vajagic came to Tempe from Wisconsin, where she played a prominent role in the Badgers’ run to the 2025 NCAA National Semifinals. She also has played with the Serbian National Team. Lastly, Martin was a three-time state champion with Saint Thomas Aquinas High School and one-time runner-up. She was ranked No. 32 in PrepVolleyball’s recruit rankings.
Opposite hitters
Both opposites are returning for Arizona State. Noemie Glover is going into her senior year with many accolades, earning AVCA First Team All-America honors last year along with her Big 12 Player of the Year award. She is the returning kills leader and has been named to the AVCA National Player of the Year Watch List.
Junior Kiylah Presley is returning as well after playing in all but one match last year. She was named to the 2025 Big 12 All-Rookie Team for her efforts, as she played her first season last season after not playing in 2024.
Middle blockers
Senior Ella Lomigora is returning for the Sun Devils in 2026 after having started every match last year. She accumulated 136 blocks and 133 kills and earned numerous academic awards. Also returning is junior Zoey Burgess, who played in four matches in 2025, and junior Jadyn Wilgus, who did not play in 2025 due to injury.
There are three newcomers for the middles: freshman Ella Hope, sophomore Aurora Papac and junior Antonina Serafinowska. Hope is a two-time member of the Team Canada Excellence Program and Canadian Youth National Team. Papac spent her freshman season at Kansas in 2025, where she played in 78 sets and was third on the team in blocks with 107. Lastly, Serafinowska is at ASU after two seasons at Wisconsin where she saw limited action. She is a three-time gold medal winner in the U17, U18 and U19 Polish Championships.
Setters
The three setters on the roster are all new to Tempe this season: senior Isabella Costantini, freshman Živa Labinjan and freshman Elle Mottola. Costantini is the most experienced of the three, transferring to ASU after playing for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley for the last two seasons (2024-25). In 2023, she played for Tyler Junior College. She is the two-time Southland Conference Setter of the Year and First Team All-Conference (2025 and 2024).
Labinjan has played with the Slovenian U19 National Team, with whom she won the European Youth Olympic Festival in 2023. Mottola has earned a number of accolades in her prep career. She is a two-time AAU First Team All-American (2023, 2022), 2025 AAU 17u Open National Champion, USAV 17u Open First Team All-American in 2025 and Triple Crown 17u Elite First Team All-American in 2025.
Liberos
Junior Faith Frame, the Sun Devils’ starting libero for all of 2025, is returning this season. Last year she earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors after leading the team in digs and notching double-digit digs in 20 matches. Also returning are sophomore Ella Lewis and junior Piper Rama. Lewis played in 29 matches as a serving specialist, earning 17 aces on the year. Rama saw time in 12 sets last year.
New to the libero group this year is freshman Paige Lehman. She was named MVP for the 2025 AAU Nationals by Prep Volleyball, and she was named one of the Dynamos of Florida Gold Series Qualifier for 17 Open for prepdig.
Up next
The 2026 season begins for Arizona State at the AVCA First Serve Weekend, playing Texas on August 22 in Milwaukee. It will be nationally televised on FS1 at 4 p.m. MST.
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