It’s not just that JJ Van Niel reached a milestone 100 wins Thursday, all with Arizona State volleyball.

It’s that he managed that achievement in 117 matches, an 85.4 percent winning percentage over 3 ½ seasons. Van Niel is already the fourth winningest coach in ASU history, trailing Debbie Brown (117 wins in six seasons), Jason Watson (126 wins in eight seasons) and Patti Snyder-Park (216 wins in 14 seasons).

Van Niel chose gratefulness and humbleness as his overriding feelings after his seventh consecutive victory (most in the rally scoring era) over rival Arizona brought him to career win No. 100.

“I would not be here without the players we’ve had and their dedication and certainly not without the staff,” he said. “They put me in my place when I need to be in place and work really hard to help make the program great.”

ASU has been ranked in the AVCA coaches top 25 for a school record 50 consecutive polls. The Sun Devils (14-3/5-1 Big 12) are currently No. 8 and on a five-match win streak going into No. 17 Kansas (12-4/5-1) on Sunday. They are tied for second in the Big 12 behind No. 14 BYU (14-1/6-0) with that showdown coming up Oct. 24 in Provo, Utah.

Seven of ASU’s remaining 12 regular-season matches are away from Desert Financial Arena so there are hurdles in the way of a third straight Big 12 title.

But the Sun Devils are playing better than when they stumbled at West Virginia on Sept. 25 in part because first-year setters Isabella Constantini and Elle Mottola are improving in ASU’s 6-2 offense.

“I love having a coach that’s kind of hard on me,” said Constantini, a junior college transfer and native of Brazil. “It shows he believes in you and wants the best out of you. He has experience so it makes it way easier to trust in him. I love being pushed.”

ASU has had different setters in each of Van Niel’s seasons yet made three NCAA Tournament appearances, twice reaching the Sweet 16. The Sun Devils almost certainly will be back in the postseason and likely hosting in the first two rounds for a third straight year.

Attendance was 7,190 for Arizona, the second consecutive crowd of that size for ASU’s home rivalry match and third largest in school history.

ASU won 3-1 (26-24, 25-14, 25-23, 25-16) although needed to stave off two set points in the first set to keep out of an early hole. Reigning Big 12 Player of the Year Noemi Glover led the way with 23 kills on .354 hitting and 16 digs.

After losing the third set, Van Niel called on his depth, using 6-4 middle blocker Tosia Serafinowska and 6-2 outside hitter Maeva Schalk to help close out a win with a fourth set in which the Sun Devils never trailed.

“Tosia came in and had some huge plays,” Van Niel said. “It’s nice to have people that can come off the bench and help you out with energy. Maeve can come in, she can score, she can pass.”

Serafinowska, like No. 1 outside hitter Una Vajagic, is a transfer from Wisconsin. Schalk, in her second year at ASU but first playing, has French national team experience. Both probably will be needed if ASU is to reach the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time.

“We have a lot of depth and everybody is ready on the bench,” libero Faith Frame said. “We have so many good players, and everyone is working so hard in practice. When their name is called, they’re ready to go in. That’s a big strength for us especially when teams try to scout. They don’t really know what they’re going to get sometimes, and that’s good for us.”

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