EUGENE, Ore. – The Oregon beach volleyball team opened its 2023 campaign with two setbacks at the Cactus Classic in Tucson, Ariz. The Ducks’ pair of Ella Tyus and Bea Wetton picked up a win at the No. 2 spot in the lineup against Arizona State.
Both of Friday’s opponents—Arizona State and Arizona—were part of the AVCA preseason poll with ASU receiving votes and the Wildcats checking in as the No. 18 team in the country. The Ducks return to the sand Saturday morning for matches against UTEP and Boise State.
Cactus Classic (Tucson, Ariz./Bear Down Beach)
Saturday, Feb. 25
9 a.m. vs UTEP | Live Stats
11 a.m. vs Boise State | Live Stats
All times PST
Arizona State (RV) 4, Oregon 1
Arizona State got on the board first with a win on court three but the Ducks pulled even with a straight-set win (23-21, 21-13) by Ella Tyus and Bea Wetton, the team’s No.2 pair. Oregon also picked up a first-set lead at the top spot with Zoe Almanza and Chloe Brown.
The Sun Devils went on to clinch the match with back-to-back victories at No. 5 and 4, respectively. On court four, Ashley Schroeder and newcomer Natasha George dropped a pair of tight sets to ASU’s Kate Fitzgerald and Rylie Kael in the clinching decision.
In the final match of the morning, Almanza and Brown lost in three sets to the Sun Devils’ top pair of Lexi Sweeney and Kylie Wickley. The teams split the first two sets before the ASU duo jumped out to a lead in the third. Almanza and Brown pulled to within one late in the frame—down 13-12—but the Sun Devils held their lead to the finish.
Almanza and Brown were the only UO morning pair with experience playing together from the 2022 dual season.
1: Lexi Sweeney/Kylie Wickley (ASU) def. Zoe Almanza/Chloe Brown (ORE) – 18-21, 21-14, 15-13
2: Ella Tyus/Bea Wetton (ORE) def. Anya Pemberton/Ivey Weber (ASU) – 23-21, 21-13
3: Taryn Ames/Sarah Waters (ASU) def. Abby Plevin/Batia Rotshtein (ORE) – 21-13, 21-13
4: Kate Fitzgerald/Rylie Kael (ASU) def. Natasha George/Ashley Schroeder (ORE) – 21-18, 21-19
5: Adriana Nieves Papaleo/Carys Thomas (ASU) def. Lolo Folau/Valerie Peterson (ORE) – 21-13, 21-14
Finish: 3, 2, 5, 4, 1
#18 Arizona 5, Oregon 0
The host Wildcats took the first point with a win on court four. Looking for their second win of the day at the No. 2 spot, Tyus and Wetton dropped the opening set against the Arizona pair of Hope Shannon and Abby Russell but responded to take the second and force a…
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