TEMPE, Ariz.—The Arizona State sand volleyball team (2-6) will open the 2015 home schedule with four matches at the PERA Club this week, starting on Wednesday against Nebraska at 6 p.m. PT.
On Thursday, the Sun Devils will take on Boise State, also at 6 p.m. PT, and then wrap the weekend with a doubleheader against USC and New Mexico on Saturday at 3 p.m. PT and 5 p.m. MT, respectively.
ABOUT THE HUSKERS (Wednesday, March 25, 6 p.m.)
Nebraska is 1-2 on the season, and last competed in Hawaii as part of the Queen of the Beach Challenge in Honolulu. In the dual matches, Nebraska lost to Hawaii, 3-2, before sweeping past California, 5-0.
In the singles brackets, Justine Wong-Orantes and Alicia Ostrander won the Silver Bracket title, while the pair of Kelly Hunter and Kadie Rolfzen reached the Gold Bracket after going 2-0 in pool play.
ABOUT THE BRONCOS (Thursday, March 26, 6 p.m.)
Boise State is set to open its season this week, first taking on Grand Canyon on March 25.
Last season, the Sun Devils closed out the year with a 5-0 sweep of Boise State.
ABOUT THE TROJANS (Saturday, March 28, 3 p.m.)
USC is 6-0 on the year, most recently picking up sweeps over Hawaii, Nebraska, and California as part of the Queen of the Beach Challenge in Honolulu last week.
Prior to the match in Tempe, the Trojans will host Pepperdine, CSU Bakersfield, and St. Mary’s at home on Tuesday and Thursday, and then take on both New Mexico and Grand Canyon in a doubleheader on Friday.
ABOUT THE LOBOS (Saturday, March 28, 5 p.m.)
New Mexico is 1-3 on the year, and the Lobos most recently hosted a pair of matches against Grand Canyon, falling 4-1 in both.
Prior to the match in Tempe, New Mexico will take on USC on Friday and Grand Canyon on Saturday.
2015 All-Tournament Team Selections
Arizona Invitational (March 6-7): Kizzy Willey, Sydney Palmer, Bianca Arellano
ABOUT SAND VOLLEYBALL
Sand volleyball is contested with five pairings in the best of three sets, which are played to 21 points. The tiebreaker third set is played to 15.
The team win goes to the squad that secures three of the five wins throughout the match.
SUPPORT SUN DEVIL SAND VOLLEYBALL
Support the Sun Devil volleyball and sand volleyball programs by making a restricted gift through the Sun Devil Club on sundevilclub.com or by contacting Julie Miller at miller.j@asu.edu, or by phone at 480-727-2925.
THE SAND-ONLY SUN DEVILS
In 2014, the lone sand-only Sun Devil was Jordy Checkal. This season, the group of one has expanded to a group of six with the addition of Bethany Jorgensen, Blair Robalin, Frances Giedraitis, Sydney Palmer, and Mia Rivera.
“This season we have depth,” Watson said. “Our sand roster has expanded to include athletes just playing sand volleyball, and this depth has added to the competitiveness of our practices. I like the work we are doing, and I like the effort of our staff in working to create a better practice environment for our athletes. Most of all, I like the attitude and commitment of our athletes. As an emerging sport at Arizona State, everyone is committed to its success.”
Currently in grad school at ASU, Jorgensen is utilizing her final year of eligibility after competing for four years with the Sun Devils’ indoor team. Robalin, Giedraitis, and Palmer join the ASU sand volleyball program as true freshmen, while Rivera is a sophomore.
THE 2015 SCHEDULE
On April 10-11, ASU will host its first-ever tournament, the ASU Sand Volleyball Challenge, hosted by the Red Lion Inn & Suites. The Sun Devils will first take on Pac-12 rival Arizona on April 10 at 6 p.m., and then see New Mexico again on April 11 at Noon. The Sun Devils will wrap the weekend against CSU Bakersfield at 5 p.m.
The Sun Devils will close out the 2015 regular season in Tucson, facing off against the rival Wildcats on Wednesday, April 22 at 4:30 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks.
THE 2015 HOME SLATE – AT THE PERA CLUB
Wed., March 25 – Nebraska – 6 p.m.
Thurs., March 26 – Boise State – 6 p.m.
Sat., March 28 – USC – 3 p.m.
Sat., March 28 – New Mexico – 5 p.m.
Fri., April 10 – Arizona – 6 p.m.
Sat., April 11 – New Mexico – Noon
Sat., April 11 – CSU Bakersfield – 5 p.m.
THE 90TH NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
The NCAA recently announced that sand volleyball would become the 90th NCAA Championship starting in the spring of 2016.
The championship will have an eight-team bracket that will be played in a double-elimination format. Teams will consist of five pairs of players. The first team to win three of the five matches is the winner, which is similar to how team champions are decided in men’s and women’s tennis. However, unlike tennis, in which national individual champions are crowned in singles and doubles, the NCAA does not plan to name individual or pair champions in sand volleyball.
Sand volleyball is the fastest-growing NCAA sport with 50 schools sponsoring it as of January 2015. NCAA rules require 40 sponsoring institutions to request an NCAA championship.
THE PERA CLUB
The PERA Club, ASU’s home for its second season, is located three and a half miles north of the Tempe Campus on 1 East Continental Dr.
PERA, which stands for Project Employees Recreation Association is a private club for the employees and families of the Salt River Project.
The 83-acre club houses a social center, employee store, fitness center, swimming pool, game courts, and fields and offers children's programs, fitness classes, business meetings, sports leagues, and parties.
THE COACHING STAFF
Head coach Jason Watson remains at the helm of the sand volleyball program, now in its second year, assisted by Jackie Bunker. Joining them this year is volunteer assistant coach Deb Rose.
A professional sand volleyball player with more than 15 years of experience, Rose earned a spot on the 1996 Olympic beach volleyball team, the first year that beach volleyball was played at the games. In Atlanta, Rose and her partner finished ninth in the world.
2014 SAND VOLLEYBALL RECAP
ASU went 6-5 in its first-ever sand volleyball season, posting wins over Arizona Christian, Tulane, Arizona, and Boise State. The Sun Devils were also responsible for securing a Territorial Cup Series point as they defeated the Wildcats in two of three head-to-head matches.
Playing in the No. 5 position, Andi Lowrance and Nora Tuioti-Mariner earned the best pairs record, finishing the season at 9-4. Macey Gardner and Whitney Follette, who went 8-5 in the No. 2 position, followed the duo.
At No. 1, Bianca Arellano and Bethany Jorgensen went 6-7, while Jordy Checkal and Kizzy Willey went 5-8 at No. 3, and Bree Bailey and Genevieve Pirotte went 4-9 at the No. 4 position.
Additionally, the Sun Devils swept three of its opponents in 2014, going 5-0 against Arizona Christian twice, and ending the season with a sweep of Boise State in the inaugural season’s finale.
2014 INDOOR RECAP
In 2014, the ASU volleyball program (20-14, 9-11 Pac-12) earned its third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth, and advanced to the second round of competition for the first time since 2006. Junior outside hitter Macey Gardner became ASU’s first AVCA All-American since 2000, and also became the first Sun Devil to earn three Pac-12 All-Conference honors since Christine Garner (1993, 1994, and 1995).