After taking the first two points in the No. 5 and No. 4 matches, the ASU beach volleyball dropped three consecutive matches in a heartbreaking loss to rival Arizona.
For a moment, Sun Devil head coach Brad Keenan thought the match was won.
“The first two matches, the girls, they played about as good as they could play, and that’s what we’re hoping for every time we come out,” Keenan said. “Our ‘3s’ had a bit of a struggle, not one of their better nights. We win that ‘4s’ and ‘5s,’ usually we hope to get that 3s, but we didn’t, and that’s ok.”
The Sun Devils (10-18) came storming out of the gates in their final regular season match of the season, emerging victorious in their No. 4 and No. 5 lineups before dropping the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 matches and falling to No. 14 Arizona at the PERA Club in Tempe.
With the victory, the Wildcats (17-10) secured the second half of the beach volleyball Territorial Cup point and swept the Sand Devils for the second time in the past three seasons.
Samantha Plaster and Kate Baldwin provided the most thrilling performance for the Sun Devils, coming back from a first set loss in the No. 5 match to defeat Arizona’s Jonny Baham and Brooke Burling by a score of 15-10 in the third set.
Despite falling in a three-point hole to open the final frame, the pair attributed their ability to rally as part of their tendency to improve as each set goes on.
“I think we’re a ‘second half’ team, as they say in football,” Baldwin said. “We kind of start off slow, but we work really well together, we’re friends in real life, we’re roommates too, so it really works when you know you got each other’s back.”
“I think we do really good under pressure,” Plaster added. “I like the pressure; it helps me do better. Even though we were down 4-1, it didn’t feel like it. It still felt like it was tied or the first set.”
Plaster and Baldwin’s victory was preceded by a commanding performance from Katie Cross and Cierra Flood in the No. 4 match. Thanks to Cross’ two-way dominance at the net, the Devils were able to walk away with a two-set victory by scores of 21-18 and 21-15.
Needing only one more match to secure the victory, the Sun Devils turned to their front three lineups to deliver the final blow.
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The team started out strong, as ASU’s No. 2 pair of Frances Giedraitis and Natalie Braun and No. 1 pair of Kwyn Johnson and Mia Rivera persevered in first set victories of 26-24 and 21-19, respectively.
Despite the fast start, concern rose when the Devils’ No. 3 duo of Katelyn Carballo and Ellyson Lundberg fell in consecutive sets to Stephany Purdue and Hailey Devlin. The pair had accumulated the Sun Devils’ only match victory against Arizona back on April 6.
The newfound sense of life quickly gave the Wildcats momentum, as their No. 2 and No. 1 pairs would use identical set scores of 21-14 to push the two remaining matches to decisive third sets.
Johnson and Rivera would go first, looking to reassert Johnson’s 6’3 frame at the front of the net. After falling in a 5-1 hole, the Sun Devil pair would claw back within three, but the Wildcats’ Natalie Anselmo and Olivia Macdonald would survive with a 15-11 set victory.
The 2-2 match tie would put all eyes on Giedraitis and Braun, as they looked to take down Arizona’s Kacey Nady and Olivia Hallaran and acquire the decisive third point of the match.
The Devils would jump out to an early lead, as Giedraitis would command the net with cut and tip kills to keep the Wildcats on the move.
Out of a timeout, U of A would respond, as Nady would slam several kills down the center of the court to give her team a 9-7 advantage.
From there on, ASU’s effort would prove to be futile, as the tough play of Braun and Giedraitis was unable to outlast the power of Nady and Hallaran at the net.
Wednesday’s loss marked the eighth time that the Sun Devils have fallen by a score of 2-3 against their opponents. Six of those losses have come against ranked opposition.
In spite of the loss, the Sun Devils received heavy support from Arizona State’s “942 Crew,” who advertised the Territorial Cup rematch as the club’s game of the week.
“The student section helped so much,” Plaster said. “Whenever it was third set, and they started cheering for us, I would pass a free ball but they would hype me up so much. It was helpful; it helped me.”
“We’re not used to really big crowds at beach volleyball games,” Baldwin concurred. “It’s a very laid back sport, so if we get our parents here, we’re hyped. The fact that a lot of students came out today was really awesome and even though we dropped it to U of A, there was a lot of good effort there.”
With the regular season wrapped up, the Sun Devils have a week to prepare before travelling to Stanford for the Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Championship next weekend.
Even though his team has suffered some close losses, coach Keenan said that his message for his team will remain the same.
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“We just have to be consistent,” Keenan said. “When we’re consistent, we do well. When we’re not, we get killed. That’s the thing: consistency.”
All quotes in this article were obtained firsthand by Devils in Detail unless otherwise noted.