LARAMIE, Wyo. – In their final non-conference road trip of the season, Sun Devil volleyball makes the 870 mile trek to the Cowboy state for the UNIWYO Invite beginning on Friday.
The two-day tournament features Murray State (4-2), Wyoming (5-1) and Binghamton (0-6), with ASU opening up with a double-header against Murray State and Wyoming. The Sun Devils finish up the short trip with a morning match up against Binghamton on Saturday morning.
The Sun Devils and Cowgirls have a small history, with ASU owning the all-time series record, 8-3. The teams last met up in 2012 in Lawrence at the Kansas Invitational. Wyoming came out on top in that match, 3-2. This weekend marks the first matchup in program history between the Sun Devils and Murray State and Binghamton.
Last time out, The Sun Devils traveled to Puerto Rico for the third annual Puerto Rico Clásico in San Juan. ASU finished with a 2-1 record, notching wins over Xavier and Towson while falling to Missouri. The team was led by libero Courtney Leffel and outside hitter Ivana Jeremic, who were both voted to the All-Tournament team.
Jeremic finished the weekend with 32 kills while Leffel contributed 43 digs. ASU made quick work of Towson to kick off the Clásico, sweeping the Tigers in three sets. The Sun Devils split their double-header on Saturday, defeating Xavier 3-1 while falling to Missouri 3-1 later that evening.
Fans can follow the action of the UNIWYO Invite by following @SunDevilVB on Twitter.
Dig 1, Set 6, Attack 21
The threesome of Courtney Leffel, Nicole Peterson and Ivana Jeremic have been on fire for the Sun Devils to begin the 2018 campaign.
Leffel ranks third in the Pac-12 in digs, notching 83 through six matches. The senior libero is a leader and difference maker on the squad, as she was voted to the Sun Devil Classic All-Tournament team as well as the Puerto Rico Clasico All-Tournament team.
Team Captain Peterson has been a steady contributer to the team as well, placing top-10 in the Pac-12 in many stats including total assists (4th) and assists per set (7th).
Jeremic's swings have been crucial for the Sun Devils, placing in the top-10 in the conference in kills per set (10th), points (7th), and total kills (5th).
Beedie's Break Out
Megan Beedie has been a break out star for ASU this season. The sophomore has racked up 50 kills in 22 sets so far, hitting a team-high .441. Beedie also has a team-high eight service aces and is third on the squad in blocks with 9.
Beedie was named the Tournament MVP for her efforts in the Sun Devil Classic, notching 28 kills on the weekend, including a career-high 12 in the match against Pacific.
Second-Straight Sun Devil Classic Title
For a second consecutive season, the Maroon and Gold lifted their season with a 3-0 sweep of the Sun Devil Classic. Within the friendly confines of Wells Fargo Arena, ASU took on UT Arlington, NM State and Pacific. Ivana Jeremic and Megan Beedie led the Sun Devils' offensive charge, with Jeremic notching career-highs in Kills (24) and Digs (18) and Beedie notching a career-high 10 kills as well.
Familiar Faces
The Sun Devils return 10 letterwinners to the roster in 2018 including Courtney Leffel, Peyton Grahovac, Carmen Unzue, Nicole Peterson, Shelbie Dobmeier, Danica Krstonosic, Halle Johnson, Megan Beedie, Ivana Jeremic and Callie Jones.
Moreno Elevated to Associate Head Coach
Head coach Sanja Tomasevic announced the promotion of Carlos Moreno to associate head coach on July 15.
"Carlos has played an integral role in our program's development on a competitive, personnel and cultural basis," said Tomasevic. "His exceptional knowledge of the sport, capacity to mentor and teach, and ultimately steadfast commitment to Sun Devil volleyball has proven invaluable. I am elated to reward Carlos' tremendous efforts with this well-deserved promotion."
Moreno enters his second season with the Sun Devil program, notably having served a brief stint as interim head coach in the latter part of the 2017 season.
Championship Pedigree
Arizona State's coaching staff - Sanja Tomasevic (head coach), Carlos Moreno (assistant coach), Macey Gardner (assistant coach), and Kyle Breitbarth (volunteer assistant coach) - boasts an impressive, collective playing resume.
Head coach Sanja Tomasevic, was a two-time All-American and the 2005 Asics and CVU.com National Player of the Year at the University of Washington, and led the Huskies to four NCAA tournament appearances, including the 2005 National Championship, and a pair of Pac-10 Conference titles. In October of 2016, Tomasevic became just the second individual volleyball player to be inducted into the Husky Hall of Fame. The former outside hitter ended her collegiate career as Washington's all-time leader in points (2,159.5), kills (1,795) and service aces (156). She is one of only five players in Huskies history to record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs.
Assistant Carlos Moreno compiled a prolific playing career as a setter at Brigham Young University, garnering essentially every national award possible, including AVCA and MPSF Player of the year honors. A three-year starter for the Cougars, Moreno amassed 4,628 career assists, marking the second-most in program in history, while adding 78 career aces (4th-most in program history). Spearheading BYU NCAA Championship runs in 2003 and 2004, Moreno earned a plethora of Player of the Year and MVP honors while also being placed on MSPF's and AVCA's respective first-teams. A two-time All-American and the 2004 AVCA National Player of the Year, Moreno led the Cougars to two NCAA tournament appearances, including the 2004 National Championship, and a pair of MPSF Conference titles.
Assistant Macey Gardner is widely considered as one of the greatest to ever don the Arizona State maroon and gold, and concluded her collegiate career as Arizona State's all-time kills leader with 1,882 to her credit. Arizona State's second ever three-time All-Pac-12 honoree, she was just the 17th Sun Devil to record 1,000 career digs, and just the 10th to record 1,000 or more kills and digs in her career.
Sun Devil volunteer assistant Kyle Breitbarth competed as a member of the University of Illinois men's club volleyball team from 2010-16. Boasting an impressice collegiate career donning the Illini blue and orange, he was a member of the 2013 NCVF University of Illinois national championship team, while helping propel the squad to a Big Ten championship and program-best 71-11 record in 2016.
The two-day tournament features Murray State (4-2), Wyoming (5-1) and Binghamton (0-6), with ASU opening up with a double-header against Murray State and Wyoming. The Sun Devils finish up the short trip with a morning match up against Binghamton on Saturday morning.
The Sun Devils and Cowgirls have a small history, with ASU owning the all-time series record, 8-3. The teams last met up in 2012 in Lawrence at the Kansas Invitational. Wyoming came out on top in that match, 3-2. This weekend marks the first matchup in program history between the Sun Devils and Murray State and Binghamton.
Last time out, The Sun Devils traveled to Puerto Rico for the third annual Puerto Rico Clásico in San Juan. ASU finished with a 2-1 record, notching wins over Xavier and Towson while falling to Missouri. The team was led by libero Courtney Leffel and outside hitter Ivana Jeremic, who were both voted to the All-Tournament team.
Jeremic finished the weekend with 32 kills while Leffel contributed 43 digs. ASU made quick work of Towson to kick off the Clásico, sweeping the Tigers in three sets. The Sun Devils split their double-header on Saturday, defeating Xavier 3-1 while falling to Missouri 3-1 later that evening.
Fans can follow the action of the UNIWYO Invite by following @SunDevilVB on Twitter.
Dig 1, Set 6, Attack 21
The threesome of Courtney Leffel, Nicole Peterson and Ivana Jeremic have been on fire for the Sun Devils to begin the 2018 campaign.
Leffel ranks third in the Pac-12 in digs, notching 83 through six matches. The senior libero is a leader and difference maker on the squad, as she was voted to the Sun Devil Classic All-Tournament team as well as the Puerto Rico Clasico All-Tournament team.
Team Captain Peterson has been a steady contributer to the team as well, placing top-10 in the Pac-12 in many stats including total assists (4th) and assists per set (7th).
Jeremic's swings have been crucial for the Sun Devils, placing in the top-10 in the conference in kills per set (10th), points (7th), and total kills (5th).
Beedie's Break Out
Megan Beedie has been a break out star for ASU this season. The sophomore has racked up 50 kills in 22 sets so far, hitting a team-high .441. Beedie also has a team-high eight service aces and is third on the squad in blocks with 9.
Beedie was named the Tournament MVP for her efforts in the Sun Devil Classic, notching 28 kills on the weekend, including a career-high 12 in the match against Pacific.
Second-Straight Sun Devil Classic Title
For a second consecutive season, the Maroon and Gold lifted their season with a 3-0 sweep of the Sun Devil Classic. Within the friendly confines of Wells Fargo Arena, ASU took on UT Arlington, NM State and Pacific. Ivana Jeremic and Megan Beedie led the Sun Devils' offensive charge, with Jeremic notching career-highs in Kills (24) and Digs (18) and Beedie notching a career-high 10 kills as well.
Familiar Faces
The Sun Devils return 10 letterwinners to the roster in 2018 including Courtney Leffel, Peyton Grahovac, Carmen Unzue, Nicole Peterson, Shelbie Dobmeier, Danica Krstonosic, Halle Johnson, Megan Beedie, Ivana Jeremic and Callie Jones.
Moreno Elevated to Associate Head Coach
Head coach Sanja Tomasevic announced the promotion of Carlos Moreno to associate head coach on July 15.
"Carlos has played an integral role in our program's development on a competitive, personnel and cultural basis," said Tomasevic. "His exceptional knowledge of the sport, capacity to mentor and teach, and ultimately steadfast commitment to Sun Devil volleyball has proven invaluable. I am elated to reward Carlos' tremendous efforts with this well-deserved promotion."
Moreno enters his second season with the Sun Devil program, notably having served a brief stint as interim head coach in the latter part of the 2017 season.
Championship Pedigree
Arizona State's coaching staff - Sanja Tomasevic (head coach), Carlos Moreno (assistant coach), Macey Gardner (assistant coach), and Kyle Breitbarth (volunteer assistant coach) - boasts an impressive, collective playing resume.
Head coach Sanja Tomasevic, was a two-time All-American and the 2005 Asics and CVU.com National Player of the Year at the University of Washington, and led the Huskies to four NCAA tournament appearances, including the 2005 National Championship, and a pair of Pac-10 Conference titles. In October of 2016, Tomasevic became just the second individual volleyball player to be inducted into the Husky Hall of Fame. The former outside hitter ended her collegiate career as Washington's all-time leader in points (2,159.5), kills (1,795) and service aces (156). She is one of only five players in Huskies history to record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs.
Assistant Carlos Moreno compiled a prolific playing career as a setter at Brigham Young University, garnering essentially every national award possible, including AVCA and MPSF Player of the year honors. A three-year starter for the Cougars, Moreno amassed 4,628 career assists, marking the second-most in program in history, while adding 78 career aces (4th-most in program history). Spearheading BYU NCAA Championship runs in 2003 and 2004, Moreno earned a plethora of Player of the Year and MVP honors while also being placed on MSPF's and AVCA's respective first-teams. A two-time All-American and the 2004 AVCA National Player of the Year, Moreno led the Cougars to two NCAA tournament appearances, including the 2004 National Championship, and a pair of MPSF Conference titles.
Assistant Macey Gardner is widely considered as one of the greatest to ever don the Arizona State maroon and gold, and concluded her collegiate career as Arizona State's all-time kills leader with 1,882 to her credit. Arizona State's second ever three-time All-Pac-12 honoree, she was just the 17th Sun Devil to record 1,000 career digs, and just the 10th to record 1,000 or more kills and digs in her career.
Sun Devil volunteer assistant Kyle Breitbarth competed as a member of the University of Illinois men's club volleyball team from 2010-16. Boasting an impressice collegiate career donning the Illini blue and orange, he was a member of the 2013 NCVF University of Illinois national championship team, while helping propel the squad to a Big Ten championship and program-best 71-11 record in 2016.