TEMPE – Wrapping up a four-match homestand, No. 8 Sun Devil Volleyball will host the Arizona Wildcats on Thursday night before traveling to the midwest for a matchup at No. 17 Kansas on Sunday.
How to follow and fan information
The first matchup of the Territorial Cup Series will be in volleyball on Thursday at 7 p.m. MST. It will be on ESPN+. Fans are encouraged to wear gold. In 2025, ASU had 7,703 in attendance for the rivalry match in Tempe, which was the Sun Devils' highest-attended match this century.
On Sunday, ASU will travel to Kansas for a top-20 matchup at 10 a.m. MST/12 p.m. CDT, live on ESPN.
In addition to the broadcasts, there will be live stats as well. Updates will be provided on social media on X (@SunDevilVB) and Instagram (@sundevilvolleyball).
Lot 59 is free parking for those attending the volleyball match. Note that the parking structure is paid parking no matter what.
Sun Devil outlook
No. 8 Arizona State (13-3, 4-1 Big 12)
- Last weekend, Arizona State picked up two more ranked wins to up its season record against top-25 teams to 6-1. ASU beat No. 23 Colorado in four sets before sweeping No. 8 TCU.
- Arizona State extended its streak of being ranked in the AVCA Coaches Poll to 50-straight weeks, dating back to September 25, 2023. During this streak, ASU has been in the top 10 for 22 of those polls, including this week when the Sun Devils jumped back into the top 10 at No. 8.
- Head coach JJ Van Niel is 99-17 going into Thursday’s match. He would be the fourth head coach in program history to reach 100 career wins, and he would be the fastest to reach 100.
- In both matches last week, Arizona State held its opponents to a sub-.100 hitting percentage, the team’s sixth time doing so this season. Nationally, ASU is No. 11 in opponent hitting percentage (.154) and first in the conference.
- The block has been on fire for the Sun Devils recently, earning double-digit blocks in the last four matches in a row. In the win over Colorado, ASU had a season-high 15 blocks. Arizona State is 32nd in the nation for blocks per set with 2.64.
- Leading the blocking effort over the weekend was junior middle blocker Zoey Burgess. She earned a career-high seven blocks against Colorado and followed that up by matching the number against TCU. She was named to the Big 12 Starting Seven this week.
- Junior libero Faith Frame is 10 digs away from 1,000 career digs. She has led the team this season in digs with 177. She has had double-digit digs in nine matches, including a season-high 21 at West Virginia.
Opponent outlook
Arizona (6-10, 1-4 Big 12)
- The Wildcats have struggled to start conference play, with their only win coming against Texas Tech. Last week, Arizona fell to TCU and Baylor, both in straight sets.
- In the long and storied rivalry, the Sun Devils have won the last six in a row and lead all-time (60-56). The winning streak dates back to Van Niel’s first season in 2023, sweeping the season series against the Wildcats in each of his seasons.
No. 17 Kansas (11-4, 4-1 Big 12)
- Last week, the Jayhawks played just one match, winning at UCF in four sets. Kansas’ lone conference loss has been to BYU back on October 2.
- Since ASU joined the Big 12, there have been two matchups with Kansas, both going in favor of the Sun Devils with last year’s lone meeting going to five in Lawrence. Overall, Arizona State leads the series 3-1.
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.