The 2025 ASU volleyball season was arguably one of the best in its history. The Sun Devils finished the year 28-4, won the Big 12, and made it to the third round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed.
However, following a 3-1 loss against Creighton, the Sun Devils were back at the drawing board heading into 2026. While ASU had a successful season last year, head coach JJ Van Niel knew that he would have to try something new to take another step forward as a program.
One of the ways he adapted was their recruiting strategy, specifically internationally. Last year, the Sun Devils featured just two players originally born outside the U.S. This year, seven of 20 players on the ASU roster were born internationally.
"We recruit all over the world," Van Niel said. "If the right person is there, then we'll take them."
One of the notable additions to the roster was senior setter Isabella Costantini, who was born in Curitiba, Brazil.
"I got into the portal wishing that I could find a program that's super high level and very competitive," Costantini said. "I think it was an easy choice to choose ASU."
The coaching staff made it a point of emphasis to add international talent.
"This is a great place to be," Van Niel said. "Everyone is usually blown away when they come on their visits, at the setup we have here and how much the athletes are supported by the university."
In the portal, Van Niel snagged Serbian junior outside hitter Una Vajagić, and Polish junior middle blocker Antonina Serafinowska, from Wisconsin, Costantini from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and Croatian sophomore middle blocker Aurora Papac from Kansas.
Last season, Vajagić finished second on the Badgers in both kills (307) and digs (275). She helped Wisconsin to the Final Four before transferring to ASU this year.
"It's really fun to have a lot of (international players) around me because even if we are not coming from the same background, we have a similar story," Vajagić said.
She hasn't missed a beat so far in the desert, leading the Sun Devils in kills with 73.
"We had recruited her when she was coming over originally," Van Niel said. "She's a good all-around volleyball player, which is exactly what we needed. She's a great passer, great defender, really good arm; she fit everything we wanted."
Meanwhile, freshmen middle blocker Ella Hope and setter Živa Labinjan joined the Sun Devils from Canada and Slovenia, respectively.
French sophomore outside hitter Maéva Schalk didn't play much for ASU her freshman year, but in the season opener against No. 2 Texas she had the third most kills, 10, before suffering an injury.
Though many of those players come from different schools and different countries, all of them are originally from outside the U.S.
"In my first year at (Tyler Junior College), I didn't have internationals, so it was a really big struggle," Costantini said. "It feels really good to be in a team that has a bunch of international people that we can relate to so many things."
Although it is a big adjustment to move across the world, learn a new language, and eat a completely new cuisine, that adjustment can be made easier with others going through similar experiences.
"(American players') parents are able to go to games; that's the biggest part where we all understand each other," Costantini said. "We're like 'oh my gosh, I wish my parents were here too' but we have a bunch of us, so we all understand and connect with each other in that way."
The culture that ASU has built is a unique one across college volleyball, with over 1/3 of the roster being born outside the U.S. The Sun Devils' season last year and strong start this year have shown that the different backgrounds might be helping ASU on the floor.
"I don't think there's a single soul here that doesn't want this, doesn't want to compete and doesn't pour everything they have every single day," Costantini said. "It's a blessing to be here and compete with amazing people that are all willing to do everything in order to do great."
Even though some of the ASU players are still trying to get comfortable in their new country, one place they all share a commonality is on the floor.
"As a team overall, we just have so much to get better," Costantini said. "We're doing amazing things. I'm just so excited to see what's ahead of us."
Edited by Alex Swift, Alan Deutschendorf III and Sophia Keeling.
Reach the reporter at mseal6@asu.edu and follow @masonseal23 on X.
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Mason Seal is a sports reporter at The State Press. This is his fifth semester working with The State Press and is in his junior year.
