The Sun Devil Beach Volleyball team put on a clinic at the Cactus Classic in Tucson, sweeping two ranked teams in impressive fashion. Arizona State, ranked No. 9, first took down No.
19 Georgia State and then edged out No. 20 Arizona on their home sand.
With these victories, ASU has surged to a 6-0 record this season. Notably, five of those wins were clean sweeps, and four came against ranked opponents. The triumph over Arizona marks the fifth consecutive win against their in-state rivals, a testament to head coach Kristen Glattfelder's success, now boasting a 6-1 record against the Wildcats.
A standout performance came from the No. 4 pair, senior McKenna Flaherty and junior Kristin Gilmour, who didn't drop a single set all day. Their matches against the Wildcats were tight, though, with both sets extending into extra points (22-20, 27-25).
This marks the fourth sweep in five duals for the Sun Devils. The top four courts secured straight-set victories, highlighted by the dominant play of the No. 2 pair, graduate Reagan Hope and senior Daniella Kensinger, who cruised to victory with scores of 21-9, 21-8. On court five, the reigning Big 12 Pair of the Week, Olivia McElroy and Kendall Whitmarsh, showed resilience by bouncing back after dropping their first set to win the next two, clinching the dual sweep.
While the overall sweep against the Wildcats might suggest an easy victory, the matches were fiercely contested. Four of the five courts went to a third set, and even though court four didn't, both sets required extra points.
Arizona State initially took four of the first five sets, but Arizona pushed back, forcing third sets on the top three courts. McElroy and Whitmarsh also fought through to a third set on court five.
Ultimately, the Sun Devils' composure in those decisive moments secured the sweep, underscoring their formidable presence this season.