TUCSON, Ariz. – No. 9 Sun Devil Beach Volleyball swept two ranked teams at the Cactus Classic on Friday, first beating No. 19 Georgia State before taking down No. 20 Arizona on its home sand.
Arizona State improved to 6-0 on the year. Of the six wins, five have been sweeps and four have been against ranked opponents. Head coach Kristen Glattfelder now has 22 wins against ranked opponents while in Tempe after earning two more today.
With the win over Arizona, ASU has won five in a row against its in-state rival, and this was just the second 5-0 sweep against the Wildcats in team history. Glattfelder improved to 6-1 against the Wildcats.
Six wins in a row is tied for the second-longest winning streak in program history. The longest is seven in a row. The 6-0 start matches the 2024 season for the best start to a season in team history.
Only one pair did not lose a set today, which was the No. 4 pair of senior McKenna Flaherty and junior Kristin Gilmour. They swept both of their matches, though against the Wildcats, both sets went to extras (22-20, 27-25).
In the Sun Devil record book, there are now four on the roster who are in the top 20 for career wins while at Arizona State: Daniella Kensinger (No. 11), Arden Besecker (T-No. 15), Ava Kirunchyk (No. 17) and Kendall Whitmarsh (No. 18).
Game one: No. 9 ASU 5, No. 19 Georgia State 0 /// Final Box
This was the fourth sweep in five duals for the Sand Devils. The top four courts all won their matches in straight sets, with the No. 2 pair of graduate Reagan Hope and senior Daniella Kensinger winning by a dominant margin (21-9, 21-8). On court five, reigning Big 12 Pair of the Week Olivia McElroy and Kendall Whitmarsh dropped their first set, but they bounced back and won the next two to secure the dual sweep.
Game two: No. 9 ASU 5, No. 20 Arizona 0 /// Final Box
The Sun Devils beat the Wildcats in a sweep, though it was closer than the dual score may seem. Four of the five courts went to a third set, and though court four did not go to a third set, both sets went to extra points. Arizona State won four of the first five sets, but Arizona forced third sets on courts one, two and three. Meanwhile, the No. 5 pair of McElroy and Whitmarsh won their second set to force a third. The Sand Devils won all of the third sets to secure the dual sweep.
Up Next
Arizona State is home next weekend, March 6-7, to host the Sun Devil Classic.
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