PHOENIX – No. 12 Sun Devil Beach Volleyball earned two more ranked wins at the Lopes Invitational on Saturday, beating No. 18 Stetson and No. 16 GCU, both with a 4-1 score.
Arizona State improved to 16-4, the third-best win total in program history, tied with 2017. ASU also now has a 9-4 record against ranked opponents this season. The win over the Lopes was particularly exciting for head coach Kristen Rohr, who previously had coached them for eight seasons. This was the Sun Devils’ first win over the Lopes since 2019.
The Sand Devils won on the top three courts and court five in both duals. The top two courts switch partners, with Daniella Kensinger and Ava Williamson on court one and Arden Besecker with Anya Pemberton on court two. Both were 2-0 today, with Besecker and Williamson extending their individual winning streaks to 11 in a row, a new program record. Additionally, Besecker and Williamson lead the team in individual wins with 17 each, which is already the most wins by a Sand Devil since 2022 and is tied for the 15th most in a single season.
Another new pair was at the No. 5 spot with freshman Ava Haughy and sophomore Adriana Nieves Papaleo winning two matches today.
In the ASU record books, senior Taryn Ames and graduate Lexi Sweeney moved up to a tie for sixth place for career individual wins. Each of them now have 55.
Game One: #12 ASU 4, #18 Stetson 1
The Sand Devils started the day off with a win over No. 18 Stetson (13-6). Besecker and Williamson both got their 10th-straight individual wins on courts one and two, respectively. Taryn Ames and Lexi Sweeney gave ASU the lead when they took down the No. 3 duo in straight sets. Haughy and Nieves Papaleo clinched the dual on court five in a dramatic three-set finish.
Results (Order of Finish: 4, 2, 3, 5*, 1)
- Daniella Kensinger/Ava Williamson (ASU) def. Henson/Clement (Stetson) 21-17, 21-9
- Arden Besecker/Anya Pemberton (ASU) def. Gauthier/Ferraris (Stetson) 21-17, 18-21, 15-12
- Taryn Ames/Lexi Sweeney (ASU) def. Urzua/Shields (Stetson) 21-19, 21-13
- Della/Hurnikova (Stetson) def. Ava Kirunchyk/Carys Thomas (ASU) 21-19, 24-22
- Ava Haughy/Nieves Papaleo (ASU)…
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