TEMPE, Ariz. – The No. 15 Arizona State beach volleyball team (9-11, 1-2) will hit the road for a third-consecutive weekend, scheduled to take on conference counterpart No. 1 USC on Apr. 7 at 6 p.m. PT, before heading to Manhattan Beach Pier to partake in the USAV Challenge on Apr. 8.
The Maroon and Gold will compete in three duals over the course of the single-day USAV Challenge with slated matches with Saint Mary's College (10 a.m. PT), Southern California (11:45 a.m. PT), and Loyola Marymount (2:30 p.m. PT).
Friday's dual with the top-ranked Trojans is set to be live streamed via Pac-12 Plus (USC Live Stream-2).
Follow the Sand Devils on Twitter at @SunDevilBeachVB for live updates coming from the four respective duals.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
No. 1 USC (20-0) | Apr. 7 (6 p.m.), Apr. 8 (11:45 a.m.) …The No. 1 Trojans enter the weekend with a 50-match winning streak to their credit, having won 82 of their last 84 dual matches. The squad is spearheaded by its prolific senior pair of Kelly Claes and Sarah Hughes who boast an active 99-match winning streak. Southern California currently leads the all-time series with Arizona State, 4-0.
Saint Mary's College (14-4) | Apr. 8 (10 a.m.) …Under the direction of first-year head coach Angela Rock, the Gaels have garnered nine victories in their last 10 outings, including two wins over Pac-12 affiliate California. Arizona State leads the all-time series between the two schools, 1-0.
Loyola Marymount (7-8) | Apr. 8 (2:30 a.m.) …The Lions are 2-3, in their last five matches with wins over Cal Poly (3-2) and Cal State Northridge (5-0) respectively. Saturday's meeting will represent Arizona State's first with Loyola Marymount in program history.
LAST TIME OUT
The then No. 12 Arizona State beach volleyball team (9-11, 1-2 Pac-12) concluded play at the 2017 Surf & Turf Invitational garnering a pair of victories over New Orleans (4-1) and No. 14 Florida Atlantic (3-2) respectively, before falling to No. 4 FSU (0-5) on Saturday Apr. 8. The Sand Devils posted a 2-4 record over the course of the two-day event also dropping matches to No. 3 UCLA (0-5), Tulane (1-4), and No. 15 Florida International (1-4).
PROJECTED PAIRINGS
No. 1: Bianca Arellano & Whitney Follette
No. 2: Oluoma Okaro & Madison Berridge
No. 3: Cassidy Pickrell & Frances Giedraitis
No. 4: Katelyn Carballo & Ellyson Lundberg
No. 5: Mia Rivera & Kwyn Johnson
2017 RETURNERS
The Sun Devils return ten letter-winners in 2017, including the No. 1s duo of Bianca Arellano and Whitney Follettewho were named to the inaugural All-Pac-12 First Team at the culmination of the 2016 season.
NEWCOMERS
The Sun Devils roster features a plethora of new faces in 2017. Newcomers include freshman Ellyson Lundberg(Larksupr, Calif.), freshman Katelyn Carballo (Laguna Beach, Calif.), freshman Kara Woodard (Phoenix, Ariz.), freshman Sage Patchell (Laguna Beach, Calif.), University of South Carolina transfer Katie Cross (Flagstaff, Ariz.), and indoor competitor Oluoma Okaro (Lakewood, Calif.).
2017 ASU BEACH VOLLEYBALL HOME SCHEDULE
Date Time Opponent
Saturday 2/25 3:00 PM Maroon and Gold
Sun Devil Challenge 3/11-3/12
Saturday 3/11 5:00 PM New Mexico vs. Texas A&M Kingsville
Saturday 3/11 7:00 PM ASU vs. Arizona
Sunday 3/12 9:00 AM Arizona vs. Texas A&M Kingsville
Sunday 3/12 11:00 AM ASU vs. New Mexico
Sunday 3/12 2:00 PM Arizona vs. New Mexico
Saturday 3/12 4:00 PM ASU vs. Texas A&M Kingsville
Thursday 3/23
3:00 PM
ASU vs. Nebraska
Friday 4/21 11:00 AM ASU vs. New Mexico
Friday 4/21 1:00 PM New Mexico vs. Cal
Friday 4/21 3:00 PM ASU vs. Cal
Saturday 4/22 3:00 PM ASU vs. Stanford
The Maroon and Gold will compete in three duals over the course of the single-day USAV Challenge with slated matches with Saint Mary's College (10 a.m. PT), Southern California (11:45 a.m. PT), and Loyola Marymount (2:30 p.m. PT).
Friday's dual with the top-ranked Trojans is set to be live streamed via Pac-12 Plus (USC Live Stream-2).
Follow the Sand Devils on Twitter at @SunDevilBeachVB for live updates coming from the four respective duals.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
No. 1 USC (20-0) | Apr. 7 (6 p.m.), Apr. 8 (11:45 a.m.) …The No. 1 Trojans enter the weekend with a 50-match winning streak to their credit, having won 82 of their last 84 dual matches. The squad is spearheaded by its prolific senior pair of Kelly Claes and Sarah Hughes who boast an active 99-match winning streak. Southern California currently leads the all-time series with Arizona State, 4-0.
Saint Mary's College (14-4) | Apr. 8 (10 a.m.) …Under the direction of first-year head coach Angela Rock, the Gaels have garnered nine victories in their last 10 outings, including two wins over Pac-12 affiliate California. Arizona State leads the all-time series between the two schools, 1-0.
Loyola Marymount (7-8) | Apr. 8 (2:30 a.m.) …The Lions are 2-3, in their last five matches with wins over Cal Poly (3-2) and Cal State Northridge (5-0) respectively. Saturday's meeting will represent Arizona State's first with Loyola Marymount in program history.
LAST TIME OUT
The then No. 12 Arizona State beach volleyball team (9-11, 1-2 Pac-12) concluded play at the 2017 Surf & Turf Invitational garnering a pair of victories over New Orleans (4-1) and No. 14 Florida Atlantic (3-2) respectively, before falling to No. 4 FSU (0-5) on Saturday Apr. 8. The Sand Devils posted a 2-4 record over the course of the two-day event also dropping matches to No. 3 UCLA (0-5), Tulane (1-4), and No. 15 Florida International (1-4).
PROJECTED PAIRINGS
No. 1: Bianca Arellano & Whitney Follette
No. 2: Oluoma Okaro & Madison Berridge
No. 3: Cassidy Pickrell & Frances Giedraitis
No. 4: Katelyn Carballo & Ellyson Lundberg
No. 5: Mia Rivera & Kwyn Johnson
2017 RETURNERS
The Sun Devils return ten letter-winners in 2017, including the No. 1s duo of Bianca Arellano and Whitney Follettewho were named to the inaugural All-Pac-12 First Team at the culmination of the 2016 season.
NEWCOMERS
The Sun Devils roster features a plethora of new faces in 2017. Newcomers include freshman Ellyson Lundberg(Larksupr, Calif.), freshman Katelyn Carballo (Laguna Beach, Calif.), freshman Kara Woodard (Phoenix, Ariz.), freshman Sage Patchell (Laguna Beach, Calif.), University of South Carolina transfer Katie Cross (Flagstaff, Ariz.), and indoor competitor Oluoma Okaro (Lakewood, Calif.).
2017 ASU BEACH VOLLEYBALL HOME SCHEDULE
Date Time Opponent
Saturday 2/25 3:00 PM Maroon and Gold
Sun Devil Challenge 3/11-3/12
Saturday 3/11 5:00 PM New Mexico vs. Texas A&M Kingsville
Saturday 3/11 7:00 PM ASU vs. Arizona
Sunday 3/12 9:00 AM Arizona vs. Texas A&M Kingsville
Sunday 3/12 11:00 AM ASU vs. New Mexico
Sunday 3/12 2:00 PM Arizona vs. New Mexico
Saturday 3/12 4:00 PM ASU vs. Texas A&M Kingsville
Thursday 3/23
3:00 PM
ASU vs. Nebraska
Friday 4/21 11:00 AM ASU vs. New Mexico
Friday 4/21 1:00 PM New Mexico vs. Cal
Friday 4/21 3:00 PM ASU vs. Cal
Saturday 4/22 3:00 PM ASU vs. Stanford