Arizona State Volleyball to Host NCAA Tournament Game

How Are First Two Rounds Set Up?

The Sun Devils are set to face Coppin State (23-11) on Thursday night at 7 P.M. MST - following a battle between number 7 seed Tennesse and Utah State directly prior to the matchup.

If the Sun Devils prevail in the Thursday game, they would advance to face the winner of Tennessee/Utah State on Friday at 6 P.M. with a trip to the regional semifinals on the line in Kentucky's region.

The program was a number three seed last season and saw their season end to six seed Texas A&M in round two - signifying that perception heading into the tournament doesn't mean much once the tournament begins.

Van Niel's Impact on Program

The former USC assistant head coach was named the leader of the program on December 29, 2022 - just a month after the other consequential hire of Kenny Dillingham to be the steward of the football program.

Van Niel is already potentially the greatest coach in the history of the volleyball program, as he became the fastest coach to reach 50 victories, as well as posting the two best seasons in program history in terms of winning percentage.

He was rewarded with a contract extension through the 2029 season earlier this year - the investment has apparently become an even wiser one in the months since, as the team has only lost one regular season home game over the last two seasons, and do not appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

The current state of Arizona State athletics are in a phenomenal spot - coaches such as Van Niel have played an integral role in this over the years.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on why the bright future of the football program isn’t dimmed by the loss to Arizona here.