STANFORD, Calif. -- Arizona State beach volleyball (3-7, 0-2 Pac-12) capped play at the 2018 Stanford Invitational, dropping a pair of highly-contested matches to No. 14 Stanford and No. 18 Tulane, respectively, Saturday afternoon at Stanford Beach Volleyball Stadium.
Opening the outing with their second meeting of the season with No. 18 Tulane, the Sand Devils fell 3-2.
Despite a promising start that saw the Sand Devils pull ahead, 2-0, courtesy of a pair of initial victories, the Maroon and Gold could not withstand a late surge on part of the Green Wave. Arizona State's ever-reliable freshmen duo of Samantha Plaster and Kate Baldwin kick started the dual with a straight-set, 21-19, 21-16, victory over Tulane's Brianna Correa and Gabriella Becerra. Following suit, the fours pair of Katie Cross and Cierra Flood netted a three-set, 21-15, 19-21, 15-9, win.
Tulane ultimately rebounded garnering wins on courts one through three to capture the match and earn their second victory on the season over the Sand Devils.
In a near-parallel fashion to its afternoon tilt with Tulane Arizona State jumped ahead early, before falling to Pac-12 foe Stanford 3-2 to in its weekend cap.
Once again the pairs of Baldwin/Plaster and Cross/Flood netted a pair of victories for the Sand Devils.
After falling to the Cardinal 21-16 in set one Plaster and Baldwin rebounded to take set two, 21-17, before earning the victory by virtue of medical forfeit on part of Stanford.
In a coin flip of a match Cross and Flood defeated Payton Chang and Catherine Raquel 24-22, 23-25, 15-13.
Stanford would prevail, winning the matches' final three contests.
Up next, the Sand Devils will compete in the Pac-12 South Invitational, March 24-25, with four slated duals against UCLA (March 24), USC (March 24), Washington (March 25) and Stanford (March 25).
Opening the outing with their second meeting of the season with No. 18 Tulane, the Sand Devils fell 3-2.
Despite a promising start that saw the Sand Devils pull ahead, 2-0, courtesy of a pair of initial victories, the Maroon and Gold could not withstand a late surge on part of the Green Wave. Arizona State's ever-reliable freshmen duo of Samantha Plaster and Kate Baldwin kick started the dual with a straight-set, 21-19, 21-16, victory over Tulane's Brianna Correa and Gabriella Becerra. Following suit, the fours pair of Katie Cross and Cierra Flood netted a three-set, 21-15, 19-21, 15-9, win.
Tulane ultimately rebounded garnering wins on courts one through three to capture the match and earn their second victory on the season over the Sand Devils.
| 21-18 TU, 21-6 TU | 1 - McHugh/Mertz (TU) vs Giedraitis/Rivera (ASU) |
| 21-8 TU, 21-8 TU | 2 - Delgado/Frohoff (TU) vs. Ellett/Palmer (ASU) |
| 22-20 TU, 30-28 TU | 3 - Mergener/Nguyen (TU) vs. Braun/Carballo (ASU) |
| 21-15 ASU, 21-19 TU, 15-9 ASU | 4 - Chin/Orlich (TU) vs. Cross/Flood (ASU) |
| 21-19 ASU, 21-16 ASU | 5 - Becerra/Correa (TU) vs. Baldwin/Plaster (ASU) |
| --,--,-- | -- |
| TU 3 - ASU 2 | Final Score |
In a near-parallel fashion to its afternoon tilt with Tulane Arizona State jumped ahead early, before falling to Pac-12 foe Stanford 3-2 to in its weekend cap.
Once again the pairs of Baldwin/Plaster and Cross/Flood netted a pair of victories for the Sand Devils.
After falling to the Cardinal 21-16 in set one Plaster and Baldwin rebounded to take set two, 21-17, before earning the victory by virtue of medical forfeit on part of Stanford.
In a coin flip of a match Cross and Flood defeated Payton Chang and Catherine Raquel 24-22, 23-25, 15-13.
Stanford would prevail, winning the matches' final three contests.
| 1 - Plummer/Villapando (STAN) vs. Giedraitis/Rivera (ASU) | 21-18 STAN, 21-9 STAN |
| 2 - Hentz/Smith (STAN) vs. Ellett/Palmer (ASU) | 21-10 STAN, 21-13 STAN |
| 3 - Bowen/Formico (STAN) vs. Braun/Carballo (ASU) | 21-11 STAN, 21-15 STAN |
| 4 - Chang/Raquel (STAN) vs. Cross/Flood (ASU) | 24-22 ASU, 25-23 STAN, 15-13 ASU |
| 5 - Anderson/Keefe (STAN) vs. Baldwin/Plaster (ASU) | 21-16 STAN, 21-17 ASU, 15-0 ASU (STAN MEDICAL FORFEIT) |
| Exh. - Richardson/Sharp (STAN) vs. Avery/Thomison (SJSU) | 21-15 STAN, 21-19 STAN |
| Final Score | STAN 3 - ASU 2 |
Up next, the Sand Devils will compete in the Pac-12 South Invitational, March 24-25, with four slated duals against UCLA (March 24), USC (March 24), Washington (March 25) and Stanford (March 25).