No. 12 Sand Devils sweep ASU/GCU Invitational

(Photo Courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics)

TEMPE, Ariz.—Heading into Sunday’s action, No. 12 ASU Beach Volleyball (14-8) had won its previous three straight games including wins over Arizona , UAB and No.19 Washington . The Sand Devils were able to continue that momentum and more, completing a dominant weekend sweep.

Despite the Devils extending their win streak to five games, the biggest news of the day came when the pairing of juniors Tori Clement and Kendall Whitmarsh extended their winning streak to a program record-tying nine games. ASU’s No.3 pairing boasts an impressive record of 10-2 on the season which makes them the first pairing to reach double-digit wins on the season.

Starting out the day was an unranked duel versus the UTEP Miners (10-9), the Devils dominated this matchup winning in all five sets with all pairs winning in two sets.

ASU’s No.2 pairing of sophomore Ava Williamson and redshirt junior Ava Kirunchyk kickstarted the day winning in two sets outscoring their opponents 42-16 in the two sets.

“Communication is the most important thing in our sport,” Kirunchyk said. “For my partner and I specifically, I feel like we just try and keep a good vibe”

The Sand Devils fourth pairing of sophomore Ava Haughy and sophomore Olivia McElroy picked up the teams second point of the day with ease winning in two sets with scores of 21-12 and 22-11 respectively.

Unlike the first two points of the duel, No.1 pairing of redshirt junior Samaya Morin and junior Daniella Kensinger struggled at first narrowly escaping with a 21-18 victory in the first set. The duo was also challenged in the second set but managed to persevere clinching the duel with a 21-15 win.

The Devils third pairing of Clement and Whitmarsh continued their dominance winning in two sets with score lines of 21-12 and 21-15.

“I just think that it’s not about the wins or losses, it’s about the Volleyball we’re playing,” Whitmarsh said.

On court three freshman Layla Williams made her collegiate debut alongside fellow freshman Zoë Taylor. The duo fought hard earning a narrow 21-18 victory in the first set, along with a dominant 21-11 victory in the second.

With momentum building the Sand Devils turned their attention to the South Carolina Gamecocks (8-9). While this duel was much more contested than the last, the Devils managed to pull off the victory winning 4-1.

After a narrow win in the first set, ASU’s second pairing of Kirunchyk and Williamson bounced back to sweep the sets with a 21-12 victory in the second.

Court two saw the Sand Devils No.4 pairing tested after narrowly dropping the first set 19-21. However the pairing of Haughy and McElroy managed to battle back, edging out the Gamecocks 21-18 and 15-9 in the two following sets.

Yet again, the Devils No.1 pairing of Samaya and Kensinger represented the clinching point in a duel sweeping the sets 21-14 and 21-18.

Clement and Whitmarsh pushed their win streak to nine games in a two set sweep which included a thrilling 24-22 victory in the second set which saw the match extended multiple times.

The day wrapped up with “A-S-U” chants blaring as senior Anya Pemberton and Williams competed in a deciding third set. While the pair dropped the set, morale was still high within the team coming off a promising weekend.

“I think our team culture is very special,” Whitmarsh said when asked about team morale. “We are all each other’s best friends, we hang out every single day, probably too much.”

After a successful weekend sweep the Devil’s pushed their home record to 7-1 on the season with their only loss coming against No.6 Cal Poly.

“I love it,” Kirunchyk said when asked about this weekend’s crowd. “I feel like we’re getting Beach Volleyball more out there, day by day.”

The Sand Devils will now turn their attention towards a challenging weekend in Tucson which will see them matchup against multiple Big 12 foes including No.2 ranked TCU.

“I think it’s actually really cool being the underdogs in matches, because you just go out there and give whatever you possibly can give,” Whitmarsh said.