TEMPE – The Sun Devil Beach Volleyball team is set for a new era after welcoming a new head coach and 10 new additions to the 2024 roster.
A Look at What is Ahead
Arizona State hosts seven matches in regular season play in its third season at the Sun Devil Beach Volleyball Facility. The team's first home matches will take place on March 1-2 for the Sun Devil Invitational. The Sand Devils' second round of home games will take place during the Pac-12 South Tournament the weekend of March 8-10. In the final season of the Pac-12, ASU will be hosting the Pac-12 Championship the week of April 24-26.
ASU is set for five other tournaments throughout the season with the Tampa Tournament, the LBSU Tournament in Long Beach, Fight in the Fort at TCU, the Lopes Invitational at GCU and the Pac-12 North Tournament in Seattle. The Sand Devils will close out their season facing Arizona in Tucson and Ottawa at home in Tempe.
Last Season
In 2023, the Sand Devils earned an 11-13 record, 6-5 in Pac-12 play. During the year, Arizona State had two win streaks of three. Of the six Pac-12 wins, which are the most ASU has had, two came against Utah, two against Oregon and two against Arizona.
The highlight of the season was the team sweeping the regular season series against Arizona for the first time since 2014. Not only did the Sun Devils win both teams while the Wildcats were ranked, but ASU came back down 2-0 in both duals to win 3-2.
Back for More
There are 11 Sand Devils returning to the team for the 2024 season. Graduate Lexi Sweeney was named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team, making her the first Sand Devil to earn a conference honor since 2021. She also played every dual in the No. 1 spot, finishing the season tied at No. 11 for all-time career individual wins at ASU with 41.
It's senior season for Kate Fitzgerald, Ivey Weber and Taryn Ames. All three of them played the majority of last season, with Ames leading the team in wins in 2023 with a 14-9 record. She is tied with Sweeney in 11th for career individual wins. Fitzgerald is right behind her with 32 in 13th after tallying nine wins last season.
As a freshman, Adriana Nieves Papaleo earned the second-best record of the season at 13-8 and helped upset the University of Arizona alongside Fitzgerald. Fellow sophomore Carys Thomas earned wins against several ranked pairs last season, including No. 7 Stanford, No. 9 Cal and No. 19 Arizona.
Other returners with playing time include junior Anya Pemberton, who has played the majority of her two seasons and has experience with the Canadian beach volleyball program. Rylie Kael is another junior who has played in almost every dual of her career. Sophomore Kendall Whitmarsh played in five duals her freshman season. The other returning players on the roster are sophomore Ava Lewison-German and junior Lillie Seymour.
Welcome to the Desert
The 2024 roster welcomes five transfers and five freshmen along with the new head coach, Kristen Rohr. After eight seasons at Grand Canyon, Rohr made the switch across the Valley to ASU, replacing former head coach Brad Keenan. She led the Lopes to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2022 and 2023 and holds a 148-71 (.676) record as a head coach, all with the Lopes. Rohr was picked by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) as the 2022 Collegiate Beach Coach of the Year after leading GCU to its first-ever NCAA Championship appearance in 2022.
Junior Samaya Morin joined Rohr from GCU where she helped her team advance to the NCAA Tournament two years in a row with top-10 finishes. Last November, she also played for USA Volleyball in the U21 FIVB Beach World Championship. Arden Besecker came from Florida State University where she helped the team reach the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament last year. Californians Daniella Kensinger and Ava Kirunchyk joined the ASU squad from Saint Mary's and USC, respectively. Kensinger led her team at Saint Mary's with a 21-13 record her freshman year and Kirunchyk was a part of the 2022 and 2023 national champion teams during her first two years. Hayden Huber transferred from TCU after one year.
Annalyse Askew, Ava Haughy, Elsa Snipes, Ava Williamson and Deanie Woodruff all join the team in their first year of college beach volleyball. Williamson played at the AVCA Fall Pairs Championships with Kensinger.
Up Next
The Sand Devils will start the season at the Tampa Invitational on February 23-24. Following that weekend, the Sand Devils return to Tempe to host Colorado Mesa and Texas A&M-Kingsville for the Sun Devil Invitational on March 1-2.
Practicing every day like it's gameday ??#SandDevils /// #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/feIgc4kT1E
— Sun Devil Beach VB (@SunDevilBeachVB) January 31, 2024
A Look at What is Ahead
Arizona State hosts seven matches in regular season play in its third season at the Sun Devil Beach Volleyball Facility. The team's first home matches will take place on March 1-2 for the Sun Devil Invitational. The Sand Devils' second round of home games will take place during the Pac-12 South Tournament the weekend of March 8-10. In the final season of the Pac-12, ASU will be hosting the Pac-12 Championship the week of April 24-26.
ASU is set for five other tournaments throughout the season with the Tampa Tournament, the LBSU Tournament in Long Beach, Fight in the Fort at TCU, the Lopes Invitational at GCU and the Pac-12 North Tournament in Seattle. The Sand Devils will close out their season facing Arizona in Tucson and Ottawa at home in Tempe.
Last Season
In 2023, the Sand Devils earned an 11-13 record, 6-5 in Pac-12 play. During the year, Arizona State had two win streaks of three. Of the six Pac-12 wins, which are the most ASU has had, two came against Utah, two against Oregon and two against Arizona.
The highlight of the season was the team sweeping the regular season series against Arizona for the first time since 2014. Not only did the Sun Devils win both teams while the Wildcats were ranked, but ASU came back down 2-0 in both duals to win 3-2.
Back for More
There are 11 Sand Devils returning to the team for the 2024 season. Graduate Lexi Sweeney was named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team, making her the first Sand Devil to earn a conference honor since 2021. She also played every dual in the No. 1 spot, finishing the season tied at No. 11 for all-time career individual wins at ASU with 41.
It's senior season for Kate Fitzgerald, Ivey Weber and Taryn Ames. All three of them played the majority of last season, with Ames leading the team in wins in 2023 with a 14-9 record. She is tied with Sweeney in 11th for career individual wins. Fitzgerald is right behind her with 32 in 13th after tallying nine wins last season.
As a freshman, Adriana Nieves Papaleo earned the second-best record of the season at 13-8 and helped upset the University of Arizona alongside Fitzgerald. Fellow sophomore Carys Thomas earned wins against several ranked pairs last season, including No. 7 Stanford, No. 9 Cal and No. 19 Arizona.
Other returners with playing time include junior Anya Pemberton, who has played the majority of her two seasons and has experience with the Canadian beach volleyball program. Rylie Kael is another junior who has played in almost every dual of her career. Sophomore Kendall Whitmarsh played in five duals her freshman season. The other returning players on the roster are sophomore Ava Lewison-German and junior Lillie Seymour.
Welcome to the Desert
The 2024 roster welcomes five transfers and five freshmen along with the new head coach, Kristen Rohr. After eight seasons at Grand Canyon, Rohr made the switch across the Valley to ASU, replacing former head coach Brad Keenan. She led the Lopes to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2022 and 2023 and holds a 148-71 (.676) record as a head coach, all with the Lopes. Rohr was picked by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) as the 2022 Collegiate Beach Coach of the Year after leading GCU to its first-ever NCAA Championship appearance in 2022.
Junior Samaya Morin joined Rohr from GCU where she helped her team advance to the NCAA Tournament two years in a row with top-10 finishes. Last November, she also played for USA Volleyball in the U21 FIVB Beach World Championship. Arden Besecker came from Florida State University where she helped the team reach the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament last year. Californians Daniella Kensinger and Ava Kirunchyk joined the ASU squad from Saint Mary's and USC, respectively. Kensinger led her team at Saint Mary's with a 21-13 record her freshman year and Kirunchyk was a part of the 2022 and 2023 national champion teams during her first two years. Hayden Huber transferred from TCU after one year.
Annalyse Askew, Ava Haughy, Elsa Snipes, Ava Williamson and Deanie Woodruff all join the team in their first year of college beach volleyball. Williamson played at the AVCA Fall Pairs Championships with Kensinger.
Up Next
The Sand Devils will start the season at the Tampa Invitational on February 23-24. Following that weekend, the Sand Devils return to Tempe to host Colorado Mesa and Texas A&M-Kingsville for the Sun Devil Invitational on March 1-2.