By Shay Souza, SDA Media Relations Student Assistant
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Splitting their doubleheader on the final day of the 2018 Sun Devil Challenge, Sun Devil beach volleyball defeated Nebraska, 3-2, and dropped their match against No. 14 Cal Poly, 3-2, on Sunday afternoon at the PERA Club.
Opening the day with a victory, the Devils took matches on courts 3-5 to clinch their matchup against the Cornhuskers. The win was highlighted by victories from the duos of Katelyn Carballo/Ellyson Lundberg— their second-straight on the season— Katie Cross/Cierra Flood and Kate Baldwin/Sam Plaster. All three Devils wins were in a mostly dominating fashion en route to their first win of the season.
Cross/Flood got things started in the matchup first, gliding past Nebraska in two sets, 21-12, 21-6. Their pair of Baldwin/Plaster followed suit soon after, handing the Huskers a 21-19, 21-14 loss to pull the Devils to a 2-0 lead.
Needing just one more point to clinch the match, Carballo/Lundberg stepped up to the challenge. The tandem defeated their opponent 21-10, 21-7 to clinch the match for the Devils and secure a 3-2 victory.
FINAL: Arizona State 3, Nebraska 2
1.Lauren Stiurws/Kelly Hunter (Neb.) Def. Kwyn Johnson/Mia Rivera (ASU): 21-14, 21-19
2. Kenzie Maloney/Anni Albright (Neb.) Def. Kara Woodard/Sydney Palmer (ASU): 21-17, 21-16
3. Katelyn Carballo/Ellyson Lundberg (ASU) Def. Jazz Sweet/Sami Slaughter (Neb.): 21-10, 21-7
4. Katie Cross/Cierra Flood (ASU) Def. Chesney McClellan/Hayley Densberger (Neb.) 21-12, 21-6
5. Kate Baldwin/Sam Plaster (ASU) Def. Jasmine Schmidt/Allie Havers (Neb.): 21-19, 21-14
EXH. Natalie Braun/Frances Giedraitis (ASU) Def. Anezka Szabo/Kelly Hunter (Neb.): 21-12, 21-10
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 3*, 1, 2
CAL POLY 3, ASU 2
In their second game on the day, Sun Devil beach volleyball dropped a closely contested matchup with No. 14 Cal Poly, 3-2, on Sunday afternoon at the PERA Club.
The Devils pulled out to an early 1-0 lead in part by Cross/Flood, who also put the Devils up early on in their match against Nebraska. The pair finished the Sun Devil Challenge with a 2-1 record with their only loss coming from a top-ranked USC team.
Cal Poly quickly knotted things up at one apiece after the duo of Baldwin/Plaster dropped a close match 21-17, 21-19 on court five. The Mustangs pulled out to a 2-1 lead with another victory on court one over Mia Rivera/Kwyn Johnson, but the Devils didn't go down without a fight.
Lundbereg/Carballo notched a victory on court three, finishing the weekend with a perfect 3-0 record, to again tie things up between the Devils and Mustangs.
With a 2-2 tie heading into the last match on the afternoon, it would come down to the pair of Natalie Braun/Frances Giedraitis on court two. In their first match action of the weekend, the pair of Braun/Giedraitis battled with Cal Poly until the very end but fell in two sets, 21-9, 21-18.
Up next, Arizona State travels to Forth Worth, Texas, to play in the TCU Tournament set to kickoff March 2-3.
FINAL: No. 14 Cal Poly 3, Arizona State 2
1. Torrey Van Wwden/Tia Miric (Cal Poly) Def. Mia Rivera/Kwyn Johnson (ASU): 21-10, 21-15
2. Emily Sonny/Samantha Manley (Cal Poly) Def. Natalie Braun/Frances Giedraitis (ASU): 21-9, 21-18
3. Ellyson Lundberg/Katelyn Carballo (ASU) Def. Raeann Greuen/Hannah Hubbard (Cal Poly): 21-14, 21-15
4. Katie Cross/Cierra Flood (ASU) Def. Adlee Van Wwden/Brayden Gruenewald (Cal Poly): 21-12, 21-14
5. Heather Pembroke/Macy Gordon (Cal Poly) Def. Kate Baldwin/Sam Plaster (ASU): 21-17, 21-19
EXH: Dora Beilin/Jamie Stivers (Cal Poly) Def. Halle Harker/Kara Woodard (ASU): 21-15, 21-17
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 1, 3, 2*
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Splitting their doubleheader on the final day of the 2018 Sun Devil Challenge, Sun Devil beach volleyball defeated Nebraska, 3-2, and dropped their match against No. 14 Cal Poly, 3-2, on Sunday afternoon at the PERA Club.
Opening the day with a victory, the Devils took matches on courts 3-5 to clinch their matchup against the Cornhuskers. The win was highlighted by victories from the duos of Katelyn Carballo/Ellyson Lundberg— their second-straight on the season— Katie Cross/Cierra Flood and Kate Baldwin/Sam Plaster. All three Devils wins were in a mostly dominating fashion en route to their first win of the season.
Cross/Flood got things started in the matchup first, gliding past Nebraska in two sets, 21-12, 21-6. Their pair of Baldwin/Plaster followed suit soon after, handing the Huskers a 21-19, 21-14 loss to pull the Devils to a 2-0 lead.
Needing just one more point to clinch the match, Carballo/Lundberg stepped up to the challenge. The tandem defeated their opponent 21-10, 21-7 to clinch the match for the Devils and secure a 3-2 victory.
FINAL: Arizona State 3, Nebraska 2
1.Lauren Stiurws/Kelly Hunter (Neb.) Def. Kwyn Johnson/Mia Rivera (ASU): 21-14, 21-19
2. Kenzie Maloney/Anni Albright (Neb.) Def. Kara Woodard/Sydney Palmer (ASU): 21-17, 21-16
3. Katelyn Carballo/Ellyson Lundberg (ASU) Def. Jazz Sweet/Sami Slaughter (Neb.): 21-10, 21-7
4. Katie Cross/Cierra Flood (ASU) Def. Chesney McClellan/Hayley Densberger (Neb.) 21-12, 21-6
5. Kate Baldwin/Sam Plaster (ASU) Def. Jasmine Schmidt/Allie Havers (Neb.): 21-19, 21-14
EXH. Natalie Braun/Frances Giedraitis (ASU) Def. Anezka Szabo/Kelly Hunter (Neb.): 21-12, 21-10
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 3*, 1, 2
CAL POLY 3, ASU 2
In their second game on the day, Sun Devil beach volleyball dropped a closely contested matchup with No. 14 Cal Poly, 3-2, on Sunday afternoon at the PERA Club.
The Devils pulled out to an early 1-0 lead in part by Cross/Flood, who also put the Devils up early on in their match against Nebraska. The pair finished the Sun Devil Challenge with a 2-1 record with their only loss coming from a top-ranked USC team.
Cal Poly quickly knotted things up at one apiece after the duo of Baldwin/Plaster dropped a close match 21-17, 21-19 on court five. The Mustangs pulled out to a 2-1 lead with another victory on court one over Mia Rivera/Kwyn Johnson, but the Devils didn't go down without a fight.
Lundbereg/Carballo notched a victory on court three, finishing the weekend with a perfect 3-0 record, to again tie things up between the Devils and Mustangs.
With a 2-2 tie heading into the last match on the afternoon, it would come down to the pair of Natalie Braun/Frances Giedraitis on court two. In their first match action of the weekend, the pair of Braun/Giedraitis battled with Cal Poly until the very end but fell in two sets, 21-9, 21-18.
Up next, Arizona State travels to Forth Worth, Texas, to play in the TCU Tournament set to kickoff March 2-3.
FINAL: No. 14 Cal Poly 3, Arizona State 2
1. Torrey Van Wwden/Tia Miric (Cal Poly) Def. Mia Rivera/Kwyn Johnson (ASU): 21-10, 21-15
2. Emily Sonny/Samantha Manley (Cal Poly) Def. Natalie Braun/Frances Giedraitis (ASU): 21-9, 21-18
3. Ellyson Lundberg/Katelyn Carballo (ASU) Def. Raeann Greuen/Hannah Hubbard (Cal Poly): 21-14, 21-15
4. Katie Cross/Cierra Flood (ASU) Def. Adlee Van Wwden/Brayden Gruenewald (Cal Poly): 21-12, 21-14
5. Heather Pembroke/Macy Gordon (Cal Poly) Def. Kate Baldwin/Sam Plaster (ASU): 21-17, 21-19
EXH: Dora Beilin/Jamie Stivers (Cal Poly) Def. Halle Harker/Kara Woodard (ASU): 21-15, 21-17
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 1, 3, 2*