Two Pairs Go Undefeated As Team Splits The Day

TUCSON, Ariz. – Sun Devil Beach Volleyball split its matches to start the 2023 season at the Cactus Classic on Friday, beating Oregon 4-1 in the opener before falling 3-2 in a close dual with Boise State.

Two pairs are undefeated to start the year. Junior Taryn Ames and senior Sarah Waters played in the No. 3 spot in both duals, sweeping both of their matches. Freshmen Adriana Nieves Papaleo and Carys Thomas made their collegiate debuts on court five, winning both of their matches.

Game One: ASU 4, Oregon 1

To kick off the season, Arizona State took down Pac-12 foe Oregon (0-1, 0-1 Pac-12), 4-1. Ames and Waters earned the first dual point of the season, while Kate Fitzgerald and Rylie Kael clinched the win. The freshmen duo of Nieves Papaleo and Thomas made their collegiate debuts, winning on court five.

Results (Order of Finish: 3, 2, 5, 4*, 1)

1. Lexi Sweeney/Kylie Wickley (ASU) def. Brown/Almanza (ORE) 18-21, 21-14, 15-13
2. Tyus/Wetton (ORE) def. Anya Pemberton/Ivey Weber (ASU) 23-21, 21-13
3. Taryn Ames/Sarah Waters (ASU) def. Pelvin/Rotshtein (ORE) 21-13, 21-13
4. Kate Fitzgerald/Rylie Kael (ASU) def. George/Schroeder (ORE) 21-18, 21-19
5. Adriana Nieves Papaleo/Carys Thomas (ASU) def. Folau/Peterson (ORE) 21-13, 21-14

Game Two: BSU 3, ASU 2
Arizona State battled with Boise State in the second dual, playing that matchup in two flights. After the Broncos won the first two matches to go up 2-0, the Sun Devils looked to be in a good position for a comeback after Ames and Waters swept their match on court three. The freshmen duo won their match in three sets on court five, but Boise State clinched the 3-2 win in the final match on court one.

Final Results (Order of Finish: 4, 2, 3, 5, 1*)

1. Land/Nichols (BSU) def. Lexi Sweeney/Kylie Wickley (ASU) 22-20, 21-14
2. Mejia/Patock (BSU) def. Anya Pemberton/Ivey Weber (ASU) 21-16, 19-21, 25-23
3. Taryn Ames/Sarah Waters (ASU) def. Chartier/Anderson (BSU) 21-11, 21-16
4. Benson/Guerra-Acuna (BSU) def. Kate Fitzgerald/Rylie Kael (ASU) 21-17, 15-21, 15-10
5. Adriana Nieves Papaleo/Carys Thomas (ASU) def. O’Neil/Vetter (BSU) 21-16, 17-21, 15-8

Up Next
The second and final day of the Cactus Classic will be on Saturday. Arizona State will face Colorado Mesa at 9 a.m. MST before ending the day with a dual against UTEP at 1 p.m. MST. Live scoring will be available for both…