Tempe, Ariz. – For the first time in program history, the Arizona State beach volleyball team attained nationally-ranked status, checking in at No. 12 in the AVCA collegiate beach volleyball week one poll, Monday afternoon.
 
The Sun Devils are now one of five teams in the Pac-12 conference ranked within the AVCA Top-15. Other ranked league members include Southern California (No. 1), UCLA (No. 4), Arizona (No. 8), and Stanford (No. 14).
 
Arizona State earns the designation after coming off an exceptional opening weekend that saw the Sun Devils garner a 2-1 record and a 3-2 upset win over No. 6 Arizona, at the Arizona Invitational. The victory marked Arizona State's first win over a top-10 program in the team's four-year history and came just three matches into first-year head coach Brad Keenan's tenure. The win also represented Arizona State's first victory over Arizona since 2014.
 
2017 SCHEDULE…
 
On March 11-12, the Sun Devils will return home to host the program's annual Sun Devil Challenge at the PERA Club. Arizona State will play host to New Mexico, Texas A&M Kingsville, and Arizona.
 
The Sun Devils will then travel to California to face CSU Bakersfield and Pepperdine on March 17 and 18, respectively.
 
Keenan's squad home will return to the valley on March 23 for a midday (11 a.m. MST) tilt with Nebraska before flying to Fort Worth, Texas for the TCU Tournament on March 25-26.
 
The Sun Devils will stay on the road for a three week stretch starting March 31-April 1 at the Florida International 5th Annual Surf & Turf Invitational in Miami, Fla. Next they will have a two-week stint in Southern California, facing Pac-12 foe USC on April 7, playing in the USAV Challenge on April 8, and then playing in a double-header against Concordia and CSUN in Northridge, Calif. on April 14.
 
ASU will then wrap-up it's home slate hosting three matches at the PERA Club against New Mexico and the California Bears on April 21, and the Stanford Cardinal on April 22.
 
The team will conclude the 2017 season at the Pac-12 Championships, hosted by Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., set for Thursday, April 27. The NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships follow on May 5-7 in Gulf Shores, Ala.
 
2017 ASU Beach Volleyball Home Schedule…
           
Date    Time    Opponent       
Saturday 2/25 3:00 PM           Maroon and Gold       
Sun Devil Challenge 3/11-3/12
Saturday 3/11 5:00 PM           New Mexico vs. Texas A&M Kingsville         
Saturday 3/11 7:00 PM           ASU vs. Arizona         
 
Sunday 3/12   
9:00 AM         
Arizona vs. Texas A&M Kingsville     
Sunday 3/12    11:00 AM        ASU vs. New Mexico 
Sunday 3/12    2:00 PM           Arizona vs. New Mexico        
Saturday 3/12 4:00 PM           ASU vs. Texas A&M Kingsville           
 
Thursday 3/23
3:00 PM          
ASU vs. Nebraska      
Friday 4/21     11:00 AM        ASU vs. New Mexico 
Friday 4/21     1:00 PM           New Mexico vs. Cal   
Friday 4/21     3:00 PM           ASU vs. Cal     
Saturday 4/22 3:00 PM           ASU vs. Stanford        
 
2017 RETURNERS...
 
The Sun Devils return ten letter-winners in 2017, including the No. 1s duo of Bianca Arellano and Whitney Follettewho were named to the inaugural All-Pac-12 First Team at the culmination of the 2016 season. 
 
Name  Record Career
Bianca Arellano          15-9     33-25
Madison Berridge       9-15     9-15
Natalie Braun 1-9       1-9
Whitney Follette         15-9     35-23
Frances Giedraitis      11-9     19-22
Kwyn Johnson 9-15     10-18
Sydney Palmer            8-13     15-24
Jourdan Parnell           13-11   13-11
Mia Rivera      10-14   10-18
Bethany Wedepohl     13-9     13-9
 
NEWCOMERS... 
 
The Sun Devils roster features a plethora of new faces in 2017. Newcomers include freshman Ellyson Lundberg(Larksupr, Calif.), freshman Katelyn Carballo (Laguna Beach, Calif.), freshman Kara Woodard (Phoenix, Ariz.), freshman Sage Patchell (Laguna Beach, Calif.), University of South Carolina transfer Katie Cross (Flagstaff, Ariz.), and indoor competitor Oluoma Okaro (Lakewood, Calif.).