The Sun Devil Beach Volleyball team is gearing up for a challenging weekend as they head to the East Meets West Invitational in Manhattan Beach, California, from March 13-14. This tournament will see Arizona State, currently ranked No. 8, face off against four top-15 teams, promising some intense matchups.
The action kicks off on Friday morning with ASU taking on the top-ranked UCLA Bruins at 9 a.m. MST/PDT.
The Bruins, hosting the tournament, present a formidable challenge. Later that day, the Sun Devils will face No.
10 Cal at 1:30 p.m. On Saturday, the competition continues with a duel against No.
9 Loyola Marymount at noon, followed by a clash with No. 13 Hawai’i at 2:30 p.m.
Arizona State is riding high on a 10-0 undefeated streak, marking the best start in program history and the longest winning streak to date. They're the only undefeated team in the top 20, a testament to their strong start this season.
Key to this success are the three undefeated pairs: Ava Kirunchyk and Samaya Morin at the No. 1 spot, Arden Besecker and Zoe Taylor at the threes, and McKenna Flaherty and Kristin Gilmour at the fours. Kirunchyk and Morin, along with Besecker and Taylor, boast a 10-0 record, tying for the second-longest winning streak by a pair in team history.
ASU's performance against ranked teams has been impressive, with a 5-0 record, including a notable victory over then-No. 5 TCU, the reigning national champions. Under head coach Kristen Glattfelder, the team has achieved 22 ranked wins in just three seasons.
The Sun Devils have secured eight sweeps this season, just one shy of the team record of nine set in 2025 and 2019. Glattfelder also celebrated personal milestones recently, surpassing 50 wins as ASU's head coach and 200 career wins overall.
Meanwhile, UCLA is coming off a strong showing at the MPSF Rumble, where they went 4-0, including wins over No. 16 Grand Canyon and No.
1 Stanford. Historically, UCLA has dominated ASU, winning all 13 of their previous encounters.
Cal, ranked No. 10, enters the tournament with an 8-5 record. They recently competed at the MPSF Rumble, securing wins over No.
13 LSU and No. 16 Grand Canyon, with their only loss to No.
3 USC. ASU has a 4-12 all-time record against Cal but notably upset them in the 2024 Pac-12 Championships.
Loyola Marymount, fresh off victories at the Long Beach State Invitational, leads the all-time series against ASU 5-1. The Lions made it to the NCAA National Championship dual for the first time in 2025, only to fall to TCU.
Hawai’i, with a 5-1 record last week, including three sweeps, poses another challenge. ASU's record against the Rainbow Warriors stands at 1-8, with their first win against them coming in the 2025 season opener.
This weekend promises to be a true test for the Sun Devils, with opportunities to solidify their standing and continue their remarkable unbeaten streak.