Ten Big 12 volleyball teams, most of any conference, made it into the NCAA Tournament on Sunday with that group headed by repeat champion Arizona State.
ASU (26-3) is a No. 2 seed, highest in school history, and for the second consecutive year hosting a sub-regional.
The Sun Devils will open against Coppin State (23-11) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Desert Financial Arena. The preceding match at 4:30 will pair No. 7 seed Tennessee (20-7) against Utah State (23-7).
The first-round winners meet at 6 p.m. Friday with a Sweet 16 berth at stake in a regional that would be hosted by No. 1 seed Kentucky provided the Wildcats reach the Sweet 16.
Other Big 12 teams in the 64-team field include Arizona (16-12), which opens against South Dakota State (23-4) on Friday in a sub-regional at No. 2 seed Stanford (27-4).
“We’re really fortunate to be at home,” ASU coach JJ Van Niel said. “We don’t have to travel, and deal with a lot of stuff so they get to come to us. The most important is getting our prep ready.”
Playing at home is no guarantee of reaching the Sweet 16 as ASU found out last year, losing as a No. 3 seed in the second round to No. 6 seed Texas A&M. In 2023 as a No. 5 seed, the Sun Devils won two matches at BYU to make the Sweet 16.
Despite a 17-1 Big 12 record, for a second straight year, Van Niel believed a lack of wins over top 10-ranked teams could prevent ASU from receiving a No. 1 seed.
That proved correct. The Sun Devils are the No. 7 national seed, out of 16, which equates to a No. 2 regional seed. Kentucky is the No. 2 national seed behind Nebraska and could meet UCLA (18-12) in the second round.
ASU is making a third straight NCAA appearance for the first time since a four-year run from 2012-15. The Sun Devils are a combined 84-13 in three seasons under Van Niel with their only losses this year against Texas and Pitt, both NCAA No. 1 seeds, and Iowa State, another Big 12 NCAA qualifier as a No. 5 seed.
The Sun Devils go into the postseason on an eight-match win streak after their loss at Iowa State on Oct. 31. They are led by opposite Noemie Glover, who is top 10 in the Big 12 in points per set, kills per set and hitting percentage.
Van Niel believes Glover, a 6-2 junior in her first year at ASU after transferring from Oregon, deserves to be Big 12 Player of the Year.
“We’re the first-place team by quite a bit,” Van Niel said. “We’re in a 6-2 (offense) and she only pays a little bit in the back row. The production she’s put up when you think about the number of rotations she’s on the court, it would be equivalent to nine or 10 points a set. I hope the other (Big 12) coaches realize that.”
The Big Ten is next after the Big 12 with nine NCAA qualifiers while the ACC has seven.
ASU is No. 10 nationally in attendance average (3,750) and 14-0 at home. The school attendance record is 8,516 in a 1986 match against Stanford. The Sun Devils drew 7,703 against Arizona on Nov. 13 and are hoping to go higher in the postseason.
“We’re going to have a lot of home fans no doubt,” ASU setter Sydney Henry said. “But there’s also going to be a lot of other teams’ fans. Even that environment is going to make DFA really crowded. It just makes it really electric in there.”
