ASU Beach Volleyball: Sand Devils fall in the first day of the ASU Invitational

(Photo: Riley Trujillo/WCSN)

The Arizona State beach volleyball team made its way back into Tempe this weekend after playing every match opponent’s sand this season. The Sun Devils have made the most of their time away from home, however. ASU had won eight of its last nine matches coming into this weekend – bolstering this season as the best start in program history.

The first day of the ASU Invitational at PERA Club, however, did not bode well for the Sand Devils.

The Devils dropped both matches, falling 4-1 to No. 2 USC and 5-0 to No. 6 Hawai’i. The losses bring the Devils to 10-6 (1-4 Pac-12) on the season.

Although home sand did not favor ASU, being back in Tempe always gives familiarity and comfort to its players.

“It’s honestly really nice [to be home] because we are used to these courts, we know how the sand is, we know how the lines move,” senior Natalie Braun said. “It’s good to have our home base and have all of our family and friends come out – so it’s a lot of fun.”

The first set in the sand was against USC. The lone match victory of the series came from the No. 2 pair — Ellyson Lundberg and Katie Cross. The duo took the Trojans to three sets (13-21, 21-19, 15-12).

The second match against No. 6 Hawai’i was no upgrade for ASU. The Sun Devils could not sneak out a win and were swept, 5-0.

The top name for the Devils, graduate student Ashley Wenz, was without her usual partner on Friday. Senior Oluoma Okaro has been a consistent piece to ASU this season. Although she could not attend Friday’s matches, she and Wenz have been heating up the sand all season.

They have a perfect 9-0 record and were named Pac-12 Pair of the Week this past Tuesday. This is the first weekly honor the Arizona State beach volleyball program has received in its history.

With a different partner, there are minor adjustments for Wenz.

“You just have to be open to changing partners and kind of figuring out what’s been going on the past week,” Wenz said. “…Obviously, I’m going to be a blocker no matter what – I’m 6’2”. Finding a defender that can read behind me and just follow behind my blocks and just get used to each other’s sets.”

The Sand Devils continue their play on Saturday as they will take on No. 5 Pepperdine at 12 p.m. and rematch against Hawai’i at 2 p.m.

“We had a slow start today,” Braun said. “We need to come out stronger with warmups and then in our first-game mentality, and I feel like if we do that, we’ll be set for both matches and at least have a better outcome. I think we’re gonna get a good night sleep and get ready for that.”

Match One Results: No. 2 USC 4, ASU 1

1) Tina Graudina/Abril Bustamante (USC) vs. Ashley Wenz/Katelyn Carballo (ASU): 21-19, 21-18
2) Elly Lundberg/Katie Cross (ASU) vs. Sammy Slater/Terese Cannon (USC): 13-21, 21-19, 15-12
3) Alexandra Poletto/Haley Hallgren (USC) vs. Cierra Flood/Kara Woodard (ASU): 21-11, 21-18
4) Joy Dennis/Cammie Dorn (USC) vs. Kate Baldwin/Sam Plaster (ASU): 21-11, 21-18
5) Mollie Ebertin/Maja Kaiser (USC) vs. Emily Anderson/Lauren Weintraub (ASU): 22-20, 21-12

Match Two Results: No. 6 Hawai’i 5, ASU 0

1) Emily Maglio/Amy Ozee (UH) vs. Ashley Wenz/Nat Braun (ASU): 21-11, 21-12
2) Julia Scoles/Ari Homayun (UH) vs. Katelyn Carballo/Elly Lundberg (ASU): 21-15, 21-16
3) Morgan Martin/Pani Napoleon (UH) vs. Katie Cross/Cierra Flood (ASU): 21-16, 21-18
4) Kylin Loker/Hi’Lawe Huddleston (UH) vs. Sam Plaster/Kate Baldwin (ASU): 21-18, 19-21, 15-12
5) Paige Dreeuws/Sofia Russo (UH) vs. Emily Anderson/Lauren Weintraub (ASU): 21-16, 21-18