The ASU beach volleyball team will kick off Easter weekend with a two day tournament hosted by the University of New Mexico.
The Sun Devils won’t have the Easter Bunny dropping eggs on the shore of the Pacific Ocean this weekend.
For the first time since March 4, the ASU beach volleyball team will return from the California coast to their normal desert domain, as they’ll travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to face Abilene Christian, Colorado Mesa and New Mexico for a total of four matches between Friday and Saturday.
The Devils will open the tournament Friday against Abilene Christian at 9 a.m. PT followed by a match against Colorado Mesa at noon PT. On Saturday, ASU will face tournament host New Mexico at 10 a.m. PT before rounding out the day with a second match against Abilene Christian at noon PT.
The Sun Devils enter the tournament with a 4-10 overall record, finishing 1-3 in their first share of Pac-12 matches last weekend with losses to UCLA, USC and Stanford prior to a win over Washinton in their final match of the Pac-12 South Invitational.
Eleven of the team’s 14 matches have come against teams that have been ranked in the AVCA Coaches’ Top 20 Poll. This weekend’s tournament will mark only the second time the team enters the tournament playing no opponents ranked in the top 20.
The Sun Devils have been most consistent this year within their No. 3 lineup of sophomores Katelyn Carballo and Ellyson Lundberg. The pair has accumulated an 8-4 record on the season and has only been swept once in a match.
With more Pac-12 competition awaiting in Tucson next weekend, the Devils will look to establish some confidence in their No. 1 and No. 2 lineups while continuing to piece their ideal rotations down the stretch of the season.
Let’s take a look at each opponent ASU will be facing this weekend.
Abilene Christian Wildcats
The Sun Devils will open their first day of the tournament and the first of two matches against the Abilene Christian Wildcats from Abilene, Texas.
The Wildcats enter the tournament with a 1-7 record on the year, with notable losses coming twice against San Jose State, a team the Sun Devils defeated three weeks ago.
Abilene Christian is currently in the midst of their inaugural season in beach volleyball, with 14 of their 19 players crossing over from their indoor volleyball roster. The indoor team advanced to the Southland Conference Championship match last season.
The team’s five beach recruits include three new players (Paris Cosley, Brooke Riley, Amy Weiss) and two Big-12 transfers in Eighmy Dobbins and Lexie Rawls.
The team is led by head coach Angela Mooney, who is also in charge of the indoor volleyball team. Mooney also coached at Ole Miss before making the move to Abilene Christian.
This match should give the Sun Devils a chance to experiment with different styles in their first two lineups and try to find a groove with each pairing. ASU has accumulated only three total matches won between the two teams.
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Colorado Mesa Mavericks
The Sun Devils will conclude their first day of matches Friday after taking on the Colorado Mesa Mavericks, a team visiting from Grand Junction, Colorado, a city four hours outside Denver.
The Mavericks have accumulated a 2-8 record thus far, with their two victories coming against California Community College Athletic Association teams in Grossmont College and San Diego Mesa College. Like ASU, Colorado Mesa fell 0-5 in a match they had against the second-ranked UCLA Bruins.
Like Abilene Christian, the Mavericks are a relatively new program, being in only their third year of existence. Last season, Colorado Mesa finished 5-10 overall with notable losses against Texas Christian University and Grand Canyon University.
The Mavericks’ best lineup comes from their No. 1 position, which is headlined by sophomore Katie Scherr and junior Taylor Woods. The pair has a 4-6 record on the year with two victories against Missouri State.
Coach David Skaff’s team is hoping a difficult schedule will help their team grow in their early seasons.
For ASU’s Kwyn Johnson and Mia Rivera, going against a solid team at the No. 1 line will give them an opportunity to gain confidence against future opponents. It’s likely that this matchup will be one of the more unique ones to see when these two teams face.
New Mexico Lobos
The final team the Sun Devils will face this season will be the tournament hosts, the New Mexico Lobos.
The Lobos return home this weekend with a 2-9 overall record, including a notable loss coming in the form of an 0-5 defeat at the hands of Washington in their third match of the season. ASU defeated the same Husky team last weekend by a score of four matches to one.
The Sun Devils and Lobos squared off twice last season, where ASU would win by scores of 3-2 and 4-1, respectively.
After recording 17 wins last season, the Lobos return four players to this year’s roster, including star senior Eastyn Baleto. Baleto is the school’s all-time leader in individual wins and has seen time throughout several lineups early this season.
Joining Baleto and the other returnees are five talented freshmen, including Erin Martin, who has spent a vast majority of the season at the No. 1 position. In high school, she won the Rocky Mountain Region Championships four years in a row from 2013 to 2016.
Next: ASU Beach Volleyball: Sun Devils go 1-3 in Pac-12 South Invitational
Although the start hasn’t been ideal for coach Jeff Nelson, the Lobos are a capable team that will have the advantage of their home sand at their home venue in the Lucky 66 Bowl. Playing on the road is never easy, and the Sun Devils will have to be ready for a tight battle in their second day of the tournament.