(Tempe, AZ) To improve the winning streak to six in a row, No. 10 Sun Devil Beach Volleyball won both of its home-opening duals on Friday in the rain, beating Texas A&M – Corpus Christi 4-1 and Coastal Carolina 5-0.
Arizona State improved to 7-5 after wins over Corpus Christi (5-5) and Coastal Carolina (4-6). Six wins in a row for ASU ties the longest winning streaks in program history. There have been three other winning streaks of six straight (2024, 2019, 2017).
Alongside the team’s winning streak, the No. 1 duo of junior Daniella Kensinger and sophomore Ava Williamson have also won six in a row, The reigning Big 12 Pair of the Week has not lost a set during this winning streak. They lead the team with individual records of 7-5. Also matching the team lead is sophomore Ava Haughy after she won both of her matches today as well.
Redshirt-junior Samaya Morin made her Sun Devil debut in the win over Corpus Christi. She and redshirt-junior Ava Kirunchyk won their match in straight sets. For Morin, this was her 50th career win, counting her victories from her two seasons at Grand Canyon. She leads the roster in career wins. In the next dual against Coastal Carolina, she and Kirunchyk won again in two sets, moving up to court two.
The two duals saw slightly different lineups, with pairs moving up and down the lineups and partnerships switching. The top court stayed the same, but the remaining four courts saw different lineups in the second dual. The twos and threes swapped spots and the fours and fives swapped partners, all seeing success.
Game One: No. 10 ASU 4, Texas A&M – Corpus Christi 1
After the first wave of courts two and four, the dual was tied at 1-1. The No. 4 pair of Arden Besecker and Tori Clement got their first win together this season, winning in straight sets. However, the next three matches all went in favor of the Sun Devils. Oddly, the three matches that ASU won in straight sets on courts one, three and four all won by the same 21-17, 21-17 scores. At the threes, Morin made her Sun Devil debut, winning her 50th career match.
Final Results (Order of Finish: 4, 2, 3, 5*, 1)
- Daniella Kensinger/Ava Williamson (ASU) def. Morrow/Spaansen (CC) 21-17, 21-17
- Bobay/Olsson (CC) def. Olivia McElroy/Anya Pemberton (ASU) 18-21, 21-19, 15-11
- Ava Kirunchyk/Samaya Morin (ASU) def. Duda Fernandes de Melo/Moreno (CC) 21-17, 21-17
- Arden Besecker/Tori Clement (ASU) def. Bennettx/Ranney (CC) 21-17, 21-17
- Ava Haughy/Kendall Whitmarsh (ASU) def. Cortez/Rough (CC) 21-15, 18-21, 15-8
Game Two: No. 10 ASU 5, Coastal Carolina 0
The Sun Devils swept the Chanticleers on the first four courts to clinch the dual. The No. 2 pair of McElroy and Pemberton bounced back from a setback in the first dual to sweep their match in this dual. Court five went to three sets after Clement and Whitmarsh lost the first set and came back to win the second, ultimately winning the third set 15-9 to secure the sweep.
Final Results (Order of Finish: 4, 2, 1*, 3, 5)
- Daniella Kensinger/Ava Williamson (ASU) def. Kunaus/Meincke Lyo (CCU) 21-12, 21-16
- Ava Kirunchyk/Samaya Morin (ASU) def. Rita/Sigmon (CCU) 21-17, 21-15
- Olivia McElroy/Anya Pemberton (ASU) def. Gordon/Ryan (CCU) 21-12, 21-18
- Arden Besecker/Ava Haughy (ASU) def. Ehlers/Novello (CCU) 21-10, 21-17
- Tori Clement/Kendall Whitmarsh (ASU) def. Koblizkova/McNabney (CCU) 18-21, 21-12, 15-9
Up Next
Arizona State will wrap up the Sun Devil Classic with a ranked matchup against No. 6 Cal Poly on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. MST.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Kimberlie Haner
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