PHOENIX- The Arizona State women's volleyball found out who the team will face in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Sunday.
The Sun Devils enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed and will host games in the first two rounds at Desert Financial Arena on Thursday and Friday. They will face the Coppin State Eagles in the first round on Thursday and are participating for the third consecutive year.
“I thought we'd be a 2 seed; we had a really strong RPI, but we didn't have a top-10 win, and I know the committee gets that stuff, so it is what it is," Arizona State head coach JJ Van Niel said Sunday. "I think the Big 12 is a gauntlet, and I hope that that's prepared us for the tournament. Our players have been pretty resilient this year and we'll have some ups and downs in every match we play.”
The Sun Devils finished the season with a 26-3 (17-1 Big 12) record, with only losses coming from Pitt, Texas, and Iowa State.
Just last season, Arizona State had a 30-3 record and fell to the Texas A&M Aggies at home in the second round of the tournament.
This season, with additions from the transfer portal such as junior opposite Noemie Glover and graduate middle blocker Colby Neal, the Sun Devils are ready for what lies ahead in this year's NCAA women's volleyball tournament.
“We’re really grateful and just excited for what’s to come," senior outside hitter Bailey Miller said. "I think no matter who we’re going to play, we’re going to be ready to go, so we will just take the next couple of days to watch film, get ready, and work on the little things so that we're prepared for anyone.”
“I think the biggest thing in the tournament is just to make sure that we highlight our strengths," Neal added. "We play the way that we want to play, we are who we are and it's not going to matter who's on the other side of the net if we can accomplish that.”
With the growth of college women's volleyball, Van Niel, Neal, and Miller express a similar gratitude for having the opportunity to play with home court advantage in the first two rounds of the tournament.
The Sun Devils continue to extend their season, especially after having another one of the best seasons in the women's volleyball program's history, with a hunger mindset.
“I think this team is really hungry," Neal said. "We have a lot of girls who either haven't been to the tournament or are just really, really excited to have it finally be their turn, and I think that we're super excited going in.”