TEMPE – With a big-time clinch from hometown heroes Taryn Ames and Lexi Sweeney, No. 10 Sun Devil Beach Volleyball took down No. 2 Stanford 3-2 for the biggest win in program history, splitting the first day of the Pac-12 South Tournament at home after falling to No. 1 UCLA earlier in the day.
Arizona State (7-1) beat Stanford (8-2) after falling to UCLA (9-4) in ASU's first dual of the day. In an interesting turn of events, Stanford had beaten UCLA earlier in the day, making all three teams 1-1 at the tournament.
The win over No. 2 Stanford is the highest-ranked win in program history. Additionally, it is the fourth ranked win of the year for the Sand Devils, which is a new program record for number of ranked wins in a season. Against the Cardinal, this is the Sun Devils' first win since 2019.
Senior Taryn Ames and graduate Lexi Sweeney were the clinching point in the dual for the Sun Devils against Stanford. They won in dramatic fashion, going to a third set after dropping the second. The ones for ASU had just won prior to the third set, bringing all eyes on the threes for that third set.
Game One: #1 UCLA 5, #10 ASU 0
In a matchup against the top-ranked team, the Sun Devils had their first loss. There were some close sets, with two pairs losing their first sets by just two points. However, ASU came up short.
Final Results (Order of Finish: 2, 4, 5*, 1, 3)
Game Two: #10 ASU 3, #2 Stanford 2
After the first wave, the dual was tied at 1-1 after sophomore Arden Besecker and freshman Ava Williamson came back in the No. 2 spot to win in three sets. Stanford took the 2-1 lead after a win at the fives, but sophomore Daniella Kensinger and junior Anya Pemberton swept their match on the top court to tie it all up at 2-2. With the dual on the line, the threes of senior Taryn Ames and graduate Lexi Sweeney were in a third set. It was back and forth the entire set until the end when ASU pulled away, clinching the dual.
Final Results (Order of Finish: 2, 4, 5, 1, 3*)
The Sun Devils continue the Pac-12 South Tournament on Sunday, March 10. ASU will face No. 7 Cal at 10 a.m. MST and No. 19 Arizona at 4 p.m. MST for a Territorial Cup Series matchup to close out the weekend.
Quotes
Head Coach Kristen Rohr
On beating Stanford:
"I'm just really proud of us. We talked this morning after our loss to UCLA about how we're right there. There's definitely things that we need to fine tune to be able to compete and beat the best teams in the country and we did that. We didn't get rattled by them and we pushed back. We knew it was going to be a fight. We knew every team that's here this weekend is a great team. I'm just really proud of how they fought and stayed confident. The feeling before going into that match, as they would say, the vibes were high. It's a newfound confidence that they have hopefully realized what we've known."
Senior Taryn Ames
Thoughts on the win
"It's really nice just having full trust in your partner. I had full trust in Lexi, everything that she was doing, and even though it was super loud and energetic, all I see and hear is me and Lexi on the court."
On the game plan
"Just kind of focusing on each ball, like if we lost a point we didn't dwell on that ball. It was the next one, it didn't matter. Also not really worrying about the score, just focus on each ball at each point and just play our game that we know how to play."
On the early success
"No, it's amazing and it feels even better that we're just getting started too. We have so much more to show everyone and it's just super exciting."
Graduate Lexi Sweeney
Thoughts on the win
"A team like them, they always mix it up on the serve. So they weren't just going at me or going at Taryn, they were going back and forth. It's really nice to know that no matter who it's going to, we can pull out the win."
On the game plan
"Yeah, I think we mixed up our offense as well. We were running a bunch of different plays, we were going behind, we were pushing it out to the pin, and I think that really helped us as well."
On the early-season success
"I think it's really exciting to look up at the scoreboard and see that it's 2-2 for the dual. We can clinch it. I feel like in years past maybe sometimes it hasn't come down to certain courts, like maybe the dual had been 4-1, but it's really nice to have faith in all our other teammates as well. It's a team effort."
Arizona State (7-1) beat Stanford (8-2) after falling to UCLA (9-4) in ASU's first dual of the day. In an interesting turn of events, Stanford had beaten UCLA earlier in the day, making all three teams 1-1 at the tournament.
The win over No. 2 Stanford is the highest-ranked win in program history. Additionally, it is the fourth ranked win of the year for the Sand Devils, which is a new program record for number of ranked wins in a season. Against the Cardinal, this is the Sun Devils' first win since 2019.
Senior Taryn Ames and graduate Lexi Sweeney were the clinching point in the dual for the Sun Devils against Stanford. They won in dramatic fashion, going to a third set after dropping the second. The ones for ASU had just won prior to the third set, bringing all eyes on the threes for that third set.
Game One: #1 UCLA 5, #10 ASU 0
In a matchup against the top-ranked team, the Sun Devils had their first loss. There were some close sets, with two pairs losing their first sets by just two points. However, ASU came up short.
Final Results (Order of Finish: 2, 4, 5*, 1, 3)
- Boyd/Denaburg (UCLA) def. Daniella Kensinger/Anya Pemberton (ASU) 21-14, 21-18
- Brennan/Newberry (UCLA) def. Arden Besecker/Ava Williamson (ASU) 21-18, 21-15
- Van Winkle/Whitmarsh (UCLA) def. Taryn Ames/Lexi Sweeney (ASU) 21-19, 21-14
- Brower/Smith (UCLA) def. Ava Haughy/Ava Kirunchyk (ASU) 24-22, 21-11
- Alden/Myszkowki (UCLA) def. Adriana Nieves Papaleo/Kendall Whitmarsh (ASU) 21-12, 21-16
Game Two: #10 ASU 3, #2 Stanford 2
After the first wave, the dual was tied at 1-1 after sophomore Arden Besecker and freshman Ava Williamson came back in the No. 2 spot to win in three sets. Stanford took the 2-1 lead after a win at the fives, but sophomore Daniella Kensinger and junior Anya Pemberton swept their match on the top court to tie it all up at 2-2. With the dual on the line, the threes of senior Taryn Ames and graduate Lexi Sweeney were in a third set. It was back and forth the entire set until the end when ASU pulled away, clinching the dual.
Final Results (Order of Finish: 2, 4, 5, 1, 3*)
- Daniella Kensinger/Anya Pemberton (ASU) def. Hodel/Rockwell (STAN) 21-18, 21-11
- Arden Besecker/Ava Williamson (ASU) def. Sorra/Wilson (STAN) 15-21, 21-17, 15-13
- Taryn Ames/Lexi Sweeney (ASU) def. Belardi/Vincent (STAN) 21-19, 15-21, 15-12
- Hoffman/Reilly (STAN) def. Ava Haughy/Ava Kirunchyk (ASU) 25-23, 21-18
- Gusarova/Morris (STAN) def. Rylie Kael/Carys Thomas (ASU) 21-18, 21-18
The Sun Devils continue the Pac-12 South Tournament on Sunday, March 10. ASU will face No. 7 Cal at 10 a.m. MST and No. 19 Arizona at 4 p.m. MST for a Territorial Cup Series matchup to close out the weekend.
Quotes
Head Coach Kristen Rohr
On beating Stanford:
"I'm just really proud of us. We talked this morning after our loss to UCLA about how we're right there. There's definitely things that we need to fine tune to be able to compete and beat the best teams in the country and we did that. We didn't get rattled by them and we pushed back. We knew it was going to be a fight. We knew every team that's here this weekend is a great team. I'm just really proud of how they fought and stayed confident. The feeling before going into that match, as they would say, the vibes were high. It's a newfound confidence that they have hopefully realized what we've known."
Senior Taryn Ames
Thoughts on the win
"It's really nice just having full trust in your partner. I had full trust in Lexi, everything that she was doing, and even though it was super loud and energetic, all I see and hear is me and Lexi on the court."
On the game plan
"Just kind of focusing on each ball, like if we lost a point we didn't dwell on that ball. It was the next one, it didn't matter. Also not really worrying about the score, just focus on each ball at each point and just play our game that we know how to play."
On the early success
"No, it's amazing and it feels even better that we're just getting started too. We have so much more to show everyone and it's just super exciting."
Graduate Lexi Sweeney
Thoughts on the win
"A team like them, they always mix it up on the serve. So they weren't just going at me or going at Taryn, they were going back and forth. It's really nice to know that no matter who it's going to, we can pull out the win."
On the game plan
"Yeah, I think we mixed up our offense as well. We were running a bunch of different plays, we were going behind, we were pushing it out to the pin, and I think that really helped us as well."
On the early-season success
"I think it's really exciting to look up at the scoreboard and see that it's 2-2 for the dual. We can clinch it. I feel like in years past maybe sometimes it hasn't come down to certain courts, like maybe the dual had been 4-1, but it's really nice to have faith in all our other teammates as well. It's a team effort."