Sand Devils fall on last day of Pac-12 Championships, secure first NCAA Tournament bid in program history

(Photo courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics)

A day after taking down No. 8 California to stay alive in the Pac-12 tournament and send the Golden Bears home, the Arizona State beach volleyball team looked to flip the script on their opening day loss to No. 3 Stanford.

In its match against the Cardinal, ASU looked overpowered as they fell 3-0, with the No. 1 and 2 pairs, sophomore Daniela Kensinger and freshman Ava Williamson, and sophomore Arden Besecker and junior Anya Pemberton, losing in two sets, and the No. 4 pair, senior Kate Fitzgerald and freshman Ava Kirunchyk, losing in three sets.

The loss dropped them into the contender’s bracket, where they had to claw their way back, picking up two more ranked wins, over No. 18 Arizona and No. 8 Cal. This pair of wins brought the Sun Devils’ season win total to 21, with 11 ranked wins.

“This is how we’ve been waiting for them to play consistently,” head coach Kristen Rohr said. “We just had three days of matches where they went for it and they played the best they could and, and so, I’m really proud of them.”

ASU’s second match-up with Stanford in the tournament offered a chance for the Devils to advance to the next round and play USC for a spot in the finals. That magic from last month didn’t carry as Stanford won convincingly 3-1, eliminating Arizona State from the tournament.

“They played their hearts out. It could have gone either way,” Rohr said.

Despite the loss, the Devils did find success from its No. 3 pair, senior Taryn Ames and graduate student Lexi Sweeney.

The win for Ames and Sweeney was their 20th of the season, which is the fourth most for a pair in a single season. Adding onto a historic career, the two picked up their 61st career wins, now tied for third most in program history.

“Everything we’ve been putting into practice was the same game type scenario so we were just really ready for this week,” Sweeney said.

In her final season at ASU, Sweeney noted the impact that Rohr had in her first year in Tempe and how that has helped in her success.

“We just really got close, bonding, doing different activities, and doing things outside, and getting to know each other on a personal level,” Sweeney said. “And then when you know each other that well, you just fight for each other harder.”

Even with its run being cut short, the Devils’ season is not yet done. On Sunday morning, the Sun Devils heard its name called as an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, making the tournament for the first time in program history.

The team will travel to Gulf Shores, Alabama, for the tournament, where they will be the No. 12 seed, and have a first-round matchup against No. 5 Cal Poly.

In just year two of the single elimination format, it will be win or go home for the rest of the way. Arizona State’s matchup against Cal Poly in the opening round is set for 11 p.m. ET on Friday, May 3. The second round and semifinals are set for May 4 with the National Championship game on Sunday, May 5.