TEMPE – With a 9-2 record after nonconference competition, No. 9 Sun Devil Volleyball is ready for Big 12 play, which begins for the squad this weekend on the road at West Virginia on Friday and at Cincinnati on Sunday.
How to follow
Friday’s match at West Virginia will be at 3 p.m MST/6 p.m. EDT on ESPN+. The second match of the weekend at Cincinnati is on Sunday at 10 a.m. MST/1 p.m. EDT, also on ESPN+.
There will be live stats for both matches. Updates will be provided on social media on X (@SunDevilVB) and Instagram (@sundevilvolleyball).
Sun Devil outlook
No. 9 Arizona State (9-2)
- Last week, ASU wrapped up nonconference play with wins over then-No. 8 Stanford and Cal Poly. The win over the Cardinal was the Sun Devils’ victory over a ranked opponent this year, second against a team in the top 10.
- ASU went 9-2 in nonconference play under head coach JJ Van Niel for the second year in a row. Under his leadership, the Sun Devils have had at least nine nonconference wins in all four of his seasons in Tempe.
- The dynamic duo of senior opposite Noemie Glover and junior outside Una Vajagić lead the team in offense this season. Both have over 140 kills on the year, with Vajagić slightly leading at 145, while Glover has 141.
- With conference play starting this week, Arizona State looks to three-peat for the Big 12 Volleyball Championship after winning in both 2024 and 2025. ASU was picked as the preseason No. 1 team in the conference, with Glover picked as the preseason player of the year. Vajagić and graduate outside hitter Aniya Clinton were chosen on the preseason All-Big 12 team, along with Glover.
Opponent outlook
West Virginia (7-3)
- The Mountaineers finished out nonconference play by going 3-0 at the UNT Invitational, hosted by North Texas. WVU beat East Texas A&M, North Texas and Tarleton State.
- This matchup between ASU and WVU will be the fourth meeting all-time, with the Sun Devils winning the previous three. Arizona State will be making its second trip to Morgantown.
Cincinnati (7-3)
- The Bearcats played two matches last week, beating both Ball State and Xavier. Cincinnati will open the conference slate at home against No. 11 TCU on September 25 before hosting ASU on the 27th.
- Arizona State is 5-0 against Cincinnati all-time. This will be the Sun Devils’ second trip to Fifth Third Arena.
Follow us
Sun Devil Volleyball updates can be found by following @SunDevilVB on X, @sundevilvolleyball on Instagram, Sun Devil Volleyball on Facebook and on sundevils.com.