TEMPE, Ariz. – Coming off a successful outing at the 2017 Sun Devil Challenge, the No. 10 Arizona State beach volleyball team (4-2, 1-1 Pac-12) will hit the road for a four-match California trip, Mar. 17-18.
The Sun Devils are slated to kick off the trek Friday, Mar. 17, with a midday 2 p.m. (PT) tilt with CSU Bakersfield.
Head coach Brad Keenan's squad will then hit the beaches of Malibu, for the University of Pepperdine hosted Zuma Classic, Saturday Mar. 18. The Sun Devils will partake in three duals over the course of tournament, kicking off the event with a meeting with Texas Christian at 10 a.m. PT. The Maroon and Gold will then take on No. 2 Pepperdine at 11 a.m. PT, before rounding out the event with a match with Cal State Los Angeles at 2 p.m. PT.
ABOUT CSU BAKERSFIELD
The Roadrunners who hold a 0-3 won/loss record in 2017, are hot off consecutive exhibition victories over Bakersfield College, Mira Costa College, and Gavilan College respectively. Under the direction of third-year head coach Cesar Benatti, CSU Bakersfield has faced two ranked opponents on the season, falling to No. 3 UCLA, 0-5 on Mar. 3 and No. 7 Long Beach State, 0-5 on Mar. 4.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE
The No. 2 Waves (3-1) jumped to No. 2 in these week's AVCA Coaches poll, after garnering ranked wins over then No. 2 Florida State (3-2) and No. 7 Georgia Southern (4-1) at the East Meets West Invitational on Mar. 12.
The stellar duo of Delaney Knudsen and Madalyn Roh, who make up the team's No. 1 pair, earned the inaugural DiG Magazine's National Pairs of the Week honor, as announced by DiG Magazine this past Tuesday.
ABOUT TCU
The Horned Frogs (3-2), fell to No. 6 Long Beach State, 5-0 in their last outing on Mar. 14. Under the direction of first year Head Coach Hector Gutierrez, TCU received votes in this week's AVCA Coaches poll.
ABOUT CAL STATE LOS ANGELES
In its inaugural season, Cal State Los Angeles is 0-5, with losses to Concordia, Golden West College, Long Beach State, and Stetson respectively.
PROJECTED SUN DEVIL PAIRINGS
1. Bianca Arellano/Whitney Follette (4-2)
2. Oluoma Okaro/Madison Berridge (5-1)
3. Cassidy Pickrell/Katelyn Carballo (3-3)
4. Mia Rivera/Katie Cross (2-0)
5. Ellyson Lundberg/Sage Patchell (1-0)
THE SUN DEVILS MOVE TO NO. 10 IN AVCA COACHES POLL
One week removed from cracking the AVCA Collegiate Volleyball rankings for the first time in program history, the Sun Devils slide to No. 10 in the polls' Week Two edition, released on Mar. 13.
LAST TIME OUT
The Sun Devils opened play at the Sun Devil Challenge on Friday, Mar. 12 with a 3-2 loss, to visiting No. 8 Arizona. For a second consecutive outing the senior duo of Bianca Arellano and Whitney Follette bested No. 8 Arizona's Whitt sisters, in a three-set (21-17, 15-21, 18-16) victory, while Oluoma Okaro and Madison Berridge also earned a winning tally for the Maroon and Gold, cruising to a two-set sweep (21-10, 21-10). The No. 2 pair has emerged as a force for the Sun Devils, having won three consecutive matches for the Sun Devils.
The Sun Devils then rebounded on Saturday, garnering a 3-2 victory over visiting New Mexico. Okaro and Berridge led the charge posting a three-set victory, while Arizona State's No. 3 (Cassidy Pickrell & Katelyn Carballo) and No. 5 (Mia Rivera/Katie Cross) pairs earned two-set sweeps in the winning effort.
2017 SCHEDULE
Keenan's squad home will return to the valley on March 23 for a midday (11 a.m. MST) tilt with Nebraska before flying to Fort Worth, Texas for the TCU Tournament on March 25-26.
The Sun Devils will stay on the road for a three week stretch starting March 31-April 1 at the Florida International 5th Annual Surf & Turf Invitational in Miami, Fla. Next they will have a two-week stint in Southern California, facing Pac-12 foe USC on April 7, playing in the USAV Challenge on April 8, and then playing in a double-header against Concordia and CSUN in Northridge, Calif. on April 14.
ASU will then wrap-up it's home slate hosting three matches at the PERA Club against New Mexico and the California Bears on April 21, and the Stanford Cardinal on April 22.
The team will conclude the 2017 season at the Pac-12 Championships, hosted by Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., set for Thursday, April 27. The NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships follow on May 5-7 in Gulf Shores, Ala.
The Sun Devils are slated to kick off the trek Friday, Mar. 17, with a midday 2 p.m. (PT) tilt with CSU Bakersfield.
Head coach Brad Keenan's squad will then hit the beaches of Malibu, for the University of Pepperdine hosted Zuma Classic, Saturday Mar. 18. The Sun Devils will partake in three duals over the course of tournament, kicking off the event with a meeting with Texas Christian at 10 a.m. PT. The Maroon and Gold will then take on No. 2 Pepperdine at 11 a.m. PT, before rounding out the event with a match with Cal State Los Angeles at 2 p.m. PT.
ABOUT CSU BAKERSFIELD
The Roadrunners who hold a 0-3 won/loss record in 2017, are hot off consecutive exhibition victories over Bakersfield College, Mira Costa College, and Gavilan College respectively. Under the direction of third-year head coach Cesar Benatti, CSU Bakersfield has faced two ranked opponents on the season, falling to No. 3 UCLA, 0-5 on Mar. 3 and No. 7 Long Beach State, 0-5 on Mar. 4.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE
The No. 2 Waves (3-1) jumped to No. 2 in these week's AVCA Coaches poll, after garnering ranked wins over then No. 2 Florida State (3-2) and No. 7 Georgia Southern (4-1) at the East Meets West Invitational on Mar. 12.
The stellar duo of Delaney Knudsen and Madalyn Roh, who make up the team's No. 1 pair, earned the inaugural DiG Magazine's National Pairs of the Week honor, as announced by DiG Magazine this past Tuesday.
ABOUT TCU
The Horned Frogs (3-2), fell to No. 6 Long Beach State, 5-0 in their last outing on Mar. 14. Under the direction of first year Head Coach Hector Gutierrez, TCU received votes in this week's AVCA Coaches poll.
ABOUT CAL STATE LOS ANGELES
In its inaugural season, Cal State Los Angeles is 0-5, with losses to Concordia, Golden West College, Long Beach State, and Stetson respectively.
PROJECTED SUN DEVIL PAIRINGS
1. Bianca Arellano/Whitney Follette (4-2)
2. Oluoma Okaro/Madison Berridge (5-1)
3. Cassidy Pickrell/Katelyn Carballo (3-3)
4. Mia Rivera/Katie Cross (2-0)
5. Ellyson Lundberg/Sage Patchell (1-0)
THE SUN DEVILS MOVE TO NO. 10 IN AVCA COACHES POLL
One week removed from cracking the AVCA Collegiate Volleyball rankings for the first time in program history, the Sun Devils slide to No. 10 in the polls' Week Two edition, released on Mar. 13.
LAST TIME OUT
The Sun Devils opened play at the Sun Devil Challenge on Friday, Mar. 12 with a 3-2 loss, to visiting No. 8 Arizona. For a second consecutive outing the senior duo of Bianca Arellano and Whitney Follette bested No. 8 Arizona's Whitt sisters, in a three-set (21-17, 15-21, 18-16) victory, while Oluoma Okaro and Madison Berridge also earned a winning tally for the Maroon and Gold, cruising to a two-set sweep (21-10, 21-10). The No. 2 pair has emerged as a force for the Sun Devils, having won three consecutive matches for the Sun Devils.
The Sun Devils then rebounded on Saturday, garnering a 3-2 victory over visiting New Mexico. Okaro and Berridge led the charge posting a three-set victory, while Arizona State's No. 3 (Cassidy Pickrell & Katelyn Carballo) and No. 5 (Mia Rivera/Katie Cross) pairs earned two-set sweeps in the winning effort.
2017 SCHEDULE
Keenan's squad home will return to the valley on March 23 for a midday (11 a.m. MST) tilt with Nebraska before flying to Fort Worth, Texas for the TCU Tournament on March 25-26.
The Sun Devils will stay on the road for a three week stretch starting March 31-April 1 at the Florida International 5th Annual Surf & Turf Invitational in Miami, Fla. Next they will have a two-week stint in Southern California, facing Pac-12 foe USC on April 7, playing in the USAV Challenge on April 8, and then playing in a double-header against Concordia and CSUN in Northridge, Calif. on April 14.
ASU will then wrap-up it's home slate hosting three matches at the PERA Club against New Mexico and the California Bears on April 21, and the Stanford Cardinal on April 22.
The team will conclude the 2017 season at the Pac-12 Championships, hosted by Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., set for Thursday, April 27. The NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships follow on May 5-7 in Gulf Shores, Ala.