#8 Sand Devils set record for best start in program history
TEMPE – Improving to the best start in program history, No. 8 Sun Devil Beach Volleyball completed the season sweep over No. 19 Arizona in a close 3-2 dual following a sweep over Nebraska to start the Sun Devil Classic on Friday at home.
Arizona State remained undefeated at 8-0, which is now the longest in program history and the best start to a season in team history as well. The victory over Arizona (6-3) marked the Sun Devils’ fifth ranked win.
Head coach Kristen Glattfelder reached 50 career wins while the leader of the Sand Devils. She also is one win away from 200 wins in her entire head coaching career, which includes eight seasons at Grand Canyon (2016-23). While in Tempe, she has 23 ranked wins and is undefeated against unranked opponents. She also improved to 7-1 against the Wildcats.
The No. 3 pair of sophomore Zoe Taylor and senior Arden Besecker didn’t drop a set all day, which the No. 4 duo of senior McKenna Flaherty and junior Kristin Gilmour accomplished as well. Flaherty and Gilmour did have to go to extra points in their first set against Arizona (23-21).
Game one: No. 8 ASU 5, Nebraska 0 /// Final Box
This was the Sun Devils’ sixth sweep of the season. All five courts won their first sets, with four pairs winning their matches in straight sets. The No. 5 pair of senior Kendall Whitmarsh and junior Olivia McElroy clinched the dual (21-8, 21-17). Meanwhile, court one with redshirt seniors Samaya Morin and Ava Kirunchyk secured the dual sweep with a 21-15, 21-18 match win.
Game one: No. 8 ASU 3, No. 19 Arizona 2 /// Final Box
The Sun Devils secured a victory over the Wildcats, with two matches going to three sets. It was tied 1-1 after the first wave, with Flaherty and Gilmour getting the first point for ASU. Besecker and Taylor got it done on court three, but the Wildcats got the point on five in three sets to tie it at 2-2. With the dual on the line, the No. 1 duo of Kirunchyk and Morin clinched the win (15-21, 21-10, 15-13).
Up Next
Arizona State will continue the Sun Devil Classic on Saturday in Tempe, facing Southern Miss at 12 p.m. MST and Stephen F. Austin at 2 p.m. MST.
Quotes
Head Coach Kristen Glattfelder
On today’s play:
“I’m really proud of the way that we finished. That team is going to come after us every single time. There wasn’t one pair today that had an easy road. They had to battle for everything, to knock them down in the challenging moments made me really proud of them.”
On playing at home:
“It’s opening weekend for us at home, they’re always some nerves with that and wanting to perform well in front of our friends and family. It’s always going to be high intensity, I saw that in the beginning against Nebraska. As we went on we cleaned it up. It wasn’t pretty all the time against Arizona. There are some things I want to go back and clean up in practice. Overall we got it done so I’m proud of us.”
On today’s fan support:
“I love that. When I walked in here this morning and saw the crowd that we had I thought I want this all the time. I want to fill the stands and have that kind of atmosphere. They’re here to root on their school and it’s a fun environment. We have to just black out the noise, take care of our side, and stay super focused.”
Redshirt Senior Ava Kirunchyk
On the difference of play between Nebraska and Arizona:
“I definitely feel like Nebraska was still a very respectable team, and we had a little more flow. Then with that first game against UofA, we were just having some difficulties with some things that don't usually happen to us. A big thing we talked about going into the second set was we know that wasn't our normal game. From there the real results showed for that second and third.”
On clinching the rivalry game:
“I was just very proud of my partner and I. We've been playing since the end of last spring to fall to now, and knowing that the weight was on our shoulders, that pressure is good. We like being the ones that can clinch it and I knew we were going to be able to. We're proud of our hard work that led up to being able to stay gritty in the hard moments. When we made an error just shaking it off was important and we're honestly very happy and excited.”
Redshirt Senior Samaya Morin
On playing in high-pressure situations:
"When we're playing we're pretty zoned in, you don't really know that everything's on the line. When you have 16 other people supporting you and cheering for you as loud as they can, it takes a lot of pressure off. Me and my partner Ava, we have found a lot of ways to connect on the court and off the court that just instill a lot of confidence when we're in those high pressure situations."
On what the rivalry win means to her:
“It feels good. It's super important to our alumni and our school in general to have no pity for the kitties. Being able to represent our program and our school to the best of our abilities and do what the university wants us to accomplish is an awesome feeling.”
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