ASU beach volleyball found success and failure in its four dual matches this weekend at the Stanford Tournament. While the Sun Devils fell to Stanford and California, they came out on top against Boise State and Oregon, rounding out the weekend with a 9-9 individual record.
On Saturday, ASU took on Oregon for the first matchup ever between the schools. The Sun Devils came out with a 3-2 victory.
ASU's three points came quickly. The number one, three and five courts swept the Ducks, clinching the match for ASU.
With the victory, senior Whitney Follette became the first player in ASU beach volleyball history to win 30 matches.
Meanwhile, Kwyn Johnson and Sydney Palmer failed to get the win on the second court. They advanced to the third set against Oregon before falling by a small margin. Freshmen Bethany Wedeopohl and Jourdan Parnell also dropped their match in three sets.
After defeating Oregon, ASU lost to the Cardinal 3-2. Arellano and Follette (first court) and sophomore Frances Giedraitis and senior Logan Rae swept their sets for the second time in the day, but the other courts were unable to win.
Juniors Mia Rivera and Madison Berridge, who had swept Oregon in two close matches (22-20, 21-28), lost their momentum later in the night against Stanford. They held out until the third set when they lost in a tight 15-13 set.
All three ASU losses to Stanford came in the third set. Wedeopohl and Parnell lost in three for the second time in the day, and Johnson and Palmer were unable to pick up a win on the second court.
On Sunday, the Sun Devils picked up a 3-2 win over Boise State. It was the Broncos' first loss of the season. In the later match, Cal made up for its 4-1 loss to ASU in 2015 to ASU by taking the victory by the same score.
Arellano and Follette won a straight-set victory against Boise’s No. 1 pair Maddy O’Donnel and Hannah Hubbard with scores of 21-19 and 21-11. However, after three wins for ASU’s powerhouse, the duo dropped their final game of the tournament against California, losing 15-11 in the third set.
Wedeopohl and Parnell made up the only ASU duo to defeat Cal. The two swept the Bears 21-18, 21-17
Johnson and Palmer were unable to step up their play after losing both sets the day prior. However, they fell in straight sets in both matches. Wedepohl and Parnell, on the other hand, got their first win of the weekend against Boise’s Sabryn Roberts and Katie Hall.
Giedraitis and Rae picked up their third win of the weekend with scores of 21-14 and 21-11. Against Cal, they lasted three sets, but fell 15-13. Berridge and Rivera failed to maintain their momentum after sweeping Oregon, losing their final two games of the weekend.
This upcoming Thursday, the Sun Devils take on Arizona in the rival’s home of Tucson.
Reach the reporter at ncorr@asu.edu or follow @natalieorr19 on Twitter.
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