Phoenix native Piper Rama brings passion, energy and a family-first mentality to Sun Devil Volleyball, embracing every role while making an impact on and off the court.
Piper Rama, a junior libero from Phoenix’s Sandra Day O’Connor High School, plays volleyball for more than just the love of the game; it’s also part of her family tree.
Volleyball runs in the Rama household, as her mom Shoni played at the University of Memphis and her older brother Zach recently played for UCLA’s Men’s Volleyball team from 2023-26. Rama said she was drawn to the sport because of how “insane” her brother was at the game.
“My brother, when he gets a kill, he turns around, starts screaming, and he’s just so hype,” Rama said. “I’m a very passionate person, and when I see a passion like that, see someone having so much fun and really enjoying their teammates, I thought, ‘I want that, I want something that I can be that passionate about.’”
Rama said she chose Arizona State because family is one of her core foundations. While she knew she’d make many meaningful memories in the sport no matter where she played, she wanted to share those memories with her family.
She added that representing ASU and her home state feels wonderful. It always brings her extra joy to see younger kids in the audience getting excited and focusing on the game. She knows that whether they go on to play volleyball, she’s making an impact on the next generation of fans in the state of Arizona.
Rama said she’s grateful for the road trips the team goes on each season because she loves how she and her teammates can represent her state while traveling.
Photo – Sun Devil Athletics
“My favorite memory so far was going to Hawai’i last spring,” Rama said. “We played two games, and then for the next four days we had time to just hang out. It’s important that we have that connection off the court with each other. Getting that off-court time with my teammates and getting to know them, especially because we had a lot of new transfers, was super important.”
The team’s bond is always on full display, on the court and on the sidelines. Regularly, you’ll see them dancing to the music played in the arenas and having dance battles with their opponents.
“I like to say that I perform every one of my roles with passion,” Rama said. “If I’m on the court, I’m going to be super hype. If I’m on the bench, I’m going to be dancing, and I’m going to be cheering on my teammates. I do whatever I can to build the energy. I’m just trying to do my best in whatever role I’m given.”
Rama has been a serving sub and a defensive specialist throughout her career. No matter how many times Rama goes on and off the court, she’s part of the “game-changer” movement volleyball head coach JJ Van Niel has implemented.
“We have so many serving subs that can go in and throw in an ace when they’re ice cold. I think that’s super important, but I also do believe that it’s the vibe we bring,” Rama said.
“Sometimes the other team will miss a serve, and we call that a bench point because we were just so loud during their serve. I think we have the ability to come off the bench and do a great job, but I also think that we bring a really good vibe that the players on the court can really feel.”
“The ‘game changers’ piece is just part of our culture and a reminder that everyone on the team matters and everyone helps get wins,” Van Niel said.
“It’s also a respect thing. They’re part of the program, and they help us in practice. We’ve been fortunate over the years to have some people who do some really good things in practice, and that helps us get better and compete at a high level when we’re in matches.”
Rama added that the team is also analytical. It prides itself on being one percent better at everything it does. Even though the average fan might not notice, during practice, players tweak small things like their posture when they serve, because watching film and fixing one small aspect of the game can have significant long-term impacts.
Van Niel shared that the one percent comes from being intentional and committed to excellence, whether they’re in the gym or on the court.
Over the last few seasons, Van Niel has seen Rama grow as a player and said she is one of the many players on the team who regularly exemplifies the one percent mentality.
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