Friday, September 25
Morgantown, W.Va.
6 p.m.
West Virginia University
vs
Arizona State
Mountaineers Open Conference Play with No. 9 Arizona State
September 24, 2026 10:54 AM | Volleyball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University volleyball team (7-3, 0-0 Big 12) opens Big 12 play Friday, Sept. 25, hosting No. 9 Arizona State (9-2, 0-0 Big 12) at Hope Coliseum. First serve is set for 6 p.m. ET.
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The Mountaineers enter conference play following their best two-year nonconference winning percentage since joining the Big 12 in 2012. WVU has posted a 19-3 record (.864) in nonconference play during the 2025 and 2026 seasons. The Mountaineers also own the nation's second-longest neutral-site winning streak at 10 matches, dating back to 2024.
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West Virginia enters the week ranked No. 4 in the conference in team kills. Senior outside hitter Nina Horning leads the Mountaineers with 154 kills this season, while senior middle blocker Maddy McGath has recorded 61 kills on 142 attempts for a team-leading .317 hitting percentage. Senior setter Alexis Finnvold directs the WVU offense with a team-high 319 assists.
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Defensively, WVU ranks No. 2 in the Big 12 in total blocks and No. 3 in team digs. Freshman defensive specialist/libero Reagan Turk leads WVU with 148 digs, while McGath paces the team with 50 blocks.
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Arizona State enters conference play with four wins over ranked opponents, including two against top-10 teams during nonconference action. The Sun Devils are coming off their first five-set match of the season, defeating Cal Poly, 3-2, at the SLO Classic last weekend. ASU also earned a straight-set victory over No. 8 Stanford at the tournament.
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The Sun Devil attack features junior outside hitter Una Vajagic, who leads the team with 145 kills while hitting .254 this season. She is followed by Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year senior opposite Noemie Glover, who has tallied 141 kills on a .232 hitting percentage.
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Freshman setter Elle Mottola has accounted for 314 of Arizona State's assists, contributing 67 percent of the team's total while ranking No. 9 in the Big 12 with 8.72 assists per set. The Sun Devils also feature one of the nation's top servers in junior libero Piper Rama, who ranks No. 23 nationally with 0.59 aces per set.
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Defensively, Arizona State has three players with more than 30 blocks this season, including middle blockers senior Ella Lomigora and junior Zoey Burgess, who have recorded 35 blocks apiece.
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Junior libero Faith Frame leads the Sun Devil defense with 113 digs this season, helping Arizona State hold opponents to a .173 hitting percentage.
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Friday's Big 12 opener marks the fourth all-time meeting between the Mountaineers and Sun Devils. Arizona State holds a 3-0 advantage in the series, which dates back to 1989. The other two meetings came in 2024 and 2025.
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West Virginia head coach Jen Greeny, a veteran of the Pac-12, holds a 16-9 record against Arizona State. Sun Devil head coach JJ Van Niel is 2-0 against Greeny.
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Van Niel is in his fourth season with the Sun Devils. He has collected an overall record of 95-16 at his first stint as a head coach.
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For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUVolleyball on Facebook, Instagram and X.
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The Mountaineers enter conference play following their best two-year nonconference winning percentage since joining the Big 12 in 2012. WVU has posted a 19-3 record (.864) in nonconference play during the 2025 and 2026 seasons. The Mountaineers also own the nation's second-longest neutral-site winning streak at 10 matches, dating back to 2024.
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West Virginia enters the week ranked No. 4 in the conference in team kills. Senior outside hitter Nina Horning leads the Mountaineers with 154 kills this season, while senior middle blocker Maddy McGath has recorded 61 kills on 142 attempts for a team-leading .317 hitting percentage. Senior setter Alexis Finnvold directs the WVU offense with a team-high 319 assists.
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Defensively, WVU ranks No. 2 in the Big 12 in total blocks and No. 3 in team digs. Freshman defensive specialist/libero Reagan Turk leads WVU with 148 digs, while McGath paces the team with 50 blocks.
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Arizona State enters conference play with four wins over ranked opponents, including two against top-10 teams during nonconference action. The Sun Devils are coming off their first five-set match of the season, defeating Cal Poly, 3-2, at the SLO Classic last weekend. ASU also earned a straight-set victory over No. 8 Stanford at the tournament.
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The Sun Devil attack features junior outside hitter Una Vajagic, who leads the team with 145 kills while hitting .254 this season. She is followed by Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year senior opposite Noemie Glover, who has tallied 141 kills on a .232 hitting percentage.
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Freshman setter Elle Mottola has accounted for 314 of Arizona State's assists, contributing 67 percent of the team's total while ranking No. 9 in the Big 12 with 8.72 assists per set. The Sun Devils also feature one of the nation's top servers in junior libero Piper Rama, who ranks No. 23 nationally with 0.59 aces per set.
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Defensively, Arizona State has three players with more than 30 blocks this season, including middle blockers senior Ella Lomigora and junior Zoey Burgess, who have recorded 35 blocks apiece.
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Junior libero Faith Frame leads the Sun Devil defense with 113 digs this season, helping Arizona State hold opponents to a .173 hitting percentage.
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Friday's Big 12 opener marks the fourth all-time meeting between the Mountaineers and Sun Devils. Arizona State holds a 3-0 advantage in the series, which dates back to 1989. The other two meetings came in 2024 and 2025.
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West Virginia head coach Jen Greeny, a veteran of the Pac-12, holds a 16-9 record against Arizona State. Sun Devil head coach JJ Van Niel is 2-0 against Greeny.
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Van Niel is in his fourth season with the Sun Devils. He has collected an overall record of 95-16 at his first stint as a head coach.
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For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUVolleyball on Facebook, Instagram and X.
Players Mentioned
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/ Volleyball
OH
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MB
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DS/L
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