No. 12 Sand Devils kick off ASU/GCU Invitational with two wins

(Photo courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics)

TEMPE, Ariz. — On Friday, the No. 12 Sand Devil Volleyball team competed in day one of the ASU Invitational and finished the day with two victories over the UAB Blazers (10-6) and the No. 19 Washington Huskies (9-8).

Arizona State dominated the courts after its complete sweep against the Arizona Wildcats on Wednesday. The team earned their sixth ranked win of the season against the Huskies.

The No. 3 pair juniors Tori Clement and Kendall Whitmarsh secured their seventh win in a row. They now hold the record for the fifth-longest pair winning streak in program history. The pair now has an 8-2 record together this season.

“I’m playing with an absolute baller, Kendall, so it’s really reassuring stepping on the court and knowing that she’s in the back of the sand behind me and any ball that comes to me or her, we can pop that up,” Clement said.

The Sand Devils’ key players like Clement and Whitmarsh are prime examples of how the Sand Devils are setting the tone this season.

Head Coach Kristen Glattfelder felt that ASU set the tone for the weekend in its matchup against University of Arizona on Wednesday. The team made sure to bring the same energy into Friday’s matches.

“I just feel like we’re playing with a little more confidence and being super aggressive in everything we do. So just really proud of how we competed all day,” Glattfelder said.

Sophomores Ava Kirunchyk and Ava Williamson were quick to assert their dominance on court one, winning their first set 21-13 against UAB. They were able to secure the first win for the Sand Devils with an impressive performance in the second set scoring 21-15.

Kirunchyk and Williamson have proved to be a dynamic duo in the competition this week. The brand new pair has seen great success against their opponents already.

“We mixed it up where they were split blocking, whereas before, we had Williamson blocking and Kirunchyk claiming defense, but we had them split blocked today and I really liked the way it looked,” Glattfelder said.

Sophomores Olivia McElroy and Ava Haughy were in an intense battle with the Blazers in the first set. The pair played down to the last available points winning the first set 21-19. They came back strong in the second set defeating UAB 21-13.

Junior Daniella Kensinger and redshirt junior Samaya Morin appeared as a pair for the second time to take on the Blazers. They played a skilled first set, scoring 21-14 against UAB. The pair kept the momentum going into the second set and secured the match point for the Sand Devils with a score of 21-16.

The Big 12 pair of the week Clement and Whitmarsh played many long rallies in the first set but pushed through and took the set point, scoring 21-15. They dominated against the Blazers in the second set winning the match for the Sand Devils with a score of 21-15.

Arden Besecker and Zoe Taylor played three sets against UAB to decide the winner. They took the first set scoring 21-16. In the second set, the two teams played a back and forth battle but the Sand Devils ultimately fell to the Blazers in extra points with a score of 25-27. The pair ended up taking the third set to win the match scoring 15-11 against UAB.

Arizona State swept all of its matches against the Blazers, setting the tone for their dual against Washington.

The No. 2 pair of Kirunchyk and Williamson were quick to take control of the match winning both sets against the Huskies 21-12, securing the first win against Washington for the Sand Devils.

On court two, Haughy and McElroy played an intense first set against the Huskies but were able to pull ahead taking the set point, scoring 21-15. They managed to take the second set point to defeat Washington 21-12.

Kensinger and Morin quickly established themselves as the one’s to beat in the first set with a score of 21-11. The Huskies wasted no time fighting back in the second set. The pair took the set into extra points but were able to quickly pull off a win against Washington scoring 22-20.

Clement and Whitmarsh played two long and intense sets against the Huskies and came out victorious in the end. The pair played back and forth, switching off leads with Washington until they were able to pull ahead, winning the match point for the Sand Devils.

For the second time of the day Besecker and Taylor found themselves playing in the third set for the match point. The pair fell to Washington 13-21 in the first set. They were able to pick it back up in the second set scoring 23-21 in extra points but ultimately were defeated in the third set 10-15.

The Sand Devils finished the day with their fifth sweep of the season. Arizona State’s top four pairs swept all of their matches and the top three courts dominated the competition by winning each set by five or more points.

The fans brought the energy to cheer on the Sand Devils which kept the spirit high on the courts all day. The pairs were fired up from the constant encouragement they received.

“As a team, we really loved the energy from the crowd,” Clement said. “We’re doing more cheers on the sidelines and the fans are amazing. I’m really proud to be a Sun Devil, and it’s great to see everyone with their forks up, cheering on the sidelines, throwing sand. It’s unbelievable and it’s a dream come true.”

The Sand Devils ended the afternoon with a 4-1 victory over the Huskies. Going into the last day of the ASU Invitational, the Sand Devils will look to keep their winning streak alive against UTEP and South Carolina.