Arizona State head football coach Kenny Dillingham speaks to the media during a news conference at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Oct. 20, 2025. Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arizona State Athletics Thriving Amid Exciting Revival

Originally posted on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI
By Kevin Hicks | Last updated Nov 5, 2025 10:00 AM ET

TEMPE -- The Arizona State football program has been the calling card of the greater athletics arrangement for several decades - this has continued under the leadership of Kenny Dillingham.

However, numerous other sports deserve highlighting, as the women's and men's basketball teams are both tipping off their respective seasons this week.

Arizona State on SI examines two programs that don't necessarily get as much coverage as the ones mentioned above.

ASU Volleyball Program is Thriving

"How about our volleyball team? Our volleyball team, I went to the game last week. They're, they're unbelievable. Watching them communicate and like, cheer for each other and the poise. I mean, that's an unbelievable team."

These were the words of Dillingham in his Monday press conference when asked about the upcoming excitement in Tempe due to numerous programs experiencing ample success.

The Sun Devil volleyball team sits at 18-3 and is ranked in the top 10 of the nation at the current moment under head coach JJ Van Niel, whom Dillingham has proclaimed to be particularly close to.

Arizona State's regular season is set to end at the conclusion of November, and they are sure to be a prime competitor for a national title at this stage.

Hockey Program is On the Rise

Dillingham also said he would make an effort to attend the hockey game this coming Saturday against Colorado College.

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

"Really excited about, you know, I may try to get out depending on to the Saturday hockey game, depending, I think it's at home, right? Yeah. So I may try to get out there... so we'll see if that actually works out. Really, it's not my choice, it's my son's choice."

"So he was still three and a half, so I don't know if that's on his list, but if he wants to go, I'll definitely want to go with him there. So yeah, it's exciting. We got a lot of good coaches in this organization, a lot of really, really good coaches, lot of really good programs."

The hockey program has grown into a legitimate Division I threat - a rare team in the western United States to be held in high regard.

Greg Powers' team has started with an uneven 3-5 record, but 2025 NHL draft pick Cullen Potter is leading the charge to bounce back this season, much like the team did a year ago, when they finished with 21 wins.

All in all, Arizona State has a myriad of impressive programs and the sum of the parts should be recognized appropriately despite football garnering most of the attention.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and three major takeaways following a gutsy win over Iowa State here

This article first appeared on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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