TEMPE, Ariz. — The University of New Mexico beach volleyball team dropped a pair of close matches on Sunday, falling to No. 9/12 Arizona State and No. 13/8 Arizona to close out the Sun Devil Challenge.
The Lobos (3-5) came exceptionally close to picking up some marquee wins at the PERA Club in Tempe, just coming short in heartbreaking 3-2 loss to the Sun Devils (3-2) and in a 4-1 setback to the Wildcats (3-2).
“It was an exciting day,” New Mexico head coach Jeff Nelson said. “The volleyball was great. The level was really high. … We’ve got to keep get better and that’s happening.”
Despite dropping its Sunday slate, UNM kept gaining experience as it continued to play top teams.
This weekend was the second straight — and the second of five to open the season — where the Lobos have faced off against teams ranked in either the AVCA Poll or the DiG Magazine Poll.
“We’re still getting better with each match,” Nelson said. “We’re doing things that we haven’t done before. Our schedule is brutal, but it’s going to make us better and make us win on down the road. I think the ball we’ve played has been really good for us.”
Sunday’s matches were just another example of the growth of the Lobos have experienced as they progress through the beginning of their third year in the sand. New Mexico handily beat Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday, and came within a couple of points of earning a road win at Arizona State.
That development has been especially evident in the top couple of pairs for the Lobos, which both scored points on Sunday. Out of the No. 1 position, Cassie House & Ashley Kelsey won vs. ASU and the No. 2 tandem of Devanne Sours & Lise Rugland won vs. Arizona.
“Our top [of our lineup] has been really performing well and I’m really happy with it,” Nelson said.
And while Nelson and his staff are still seeking a consistent lineup top to bottom, New Mexico has shown its ability to contend for wins against some of the top teams in the NCAA.
Next week will present New Mexico some more chances to play ranked teams at the Stetson Beach Invitational. The Lobos will play Florida Atlantic, Georgia State and Morehead State next Friday before facing Jacksonville State, Stetson and Lincoln Memorial on Saturday.
Arizona State 3, New Mexico 2
The all-time series between the Lobos and Sun Devils has been exceptionally close. Two season ago, in UNM’s first beach season, Arizona State won twice. Last season, New Mexico captured a pair of victories.
So, it would figure that both teams would play a close match in their first meeting of 2017.
“I said when the match started that it was going to be a point-for-point match and that it was going to come down to the wire,” Nelson said.
And he was right, as Arizona State edged the Lobos 3-2 in a contest that came down to the final points.
The Sun Devils struck first, picking up a win on the No. 5 court, where the Lobos’ Julia Warren & Lauren Twitty fell 21-18, 21-17 to ASU’s Mia Rivera & Katie Cross.
New Mexico would even the dual up just moments later as Marisa Doran & Eastyn Baleto notched a 21-14, 21-17 win over Bethany Wedepohl & Sydney Palmer on the No. 4 court.
However, Arizona State would regain the lead on court three, where UNM’s Jackie Baro & Carly Beddingfield lost 21-15, 21-11 to Cassidy Pickrell & Katelyn Carballo.
But the Lobos would get the equalizer from their top tandem of House & Kelsey, as they defeated Bianca Arellano & Whitney Follette 21-19, 21-19 on court No. 1. It was the Lobo duo’s first win over Arellano & Follette after falling in a similarly close battle last spring.
“I’m really excited about Cassie & Ashley’s win over Arizona State,” Nelson said. “They [Arellano & Follette] are one of the best tandems on the country and that’s a huge win for us. It’s the first time Cassie & Ashley have gotten them.”
With the match knotted a two points apiece, the dual came down to the No. 2 court, where Sours & Rugland had split the opening two sets vs. Oluoma Okaro & Madison Berridge.
Sours & Rugland dropped set one 21-11, but rebounded with a 21-16 win in set two.
But in the decisive third set, Arizona State came out on top, capturing a the set 16-14.
“ASU has improved a ton from last year,” Nelson said. “They’re in the top 10 in one poll. We played great ball. It was a really exciting match. It was 2-2 and it came down to two points in a third set with Devanne & Lise.”
On an exhibition court, the Sun Devils’ Sage Patchell & Ellyson Lundberg topped UNM’s Victoria Spragg & Emily Nenninger 21-15, 21-7.
Arizona 4, New Mexico 1
The Lobos had little time to dwell on their affairs with Arizona State as they turned their attention to the Wildcats less than an hour after finishing vs. ASU.
Arizona, a Saturday winner over Arizona State, took advantage of the Lobos’ quick turnaround right away, claiming a point on the No. 4 court as Doran & Baleto fell 21-15, 21-10 to Hailey Delvin & Sam Manley.
Warren & Twitty came close to getting that point back on the No. 5 court, but dropped a 10-21, 21-19, 15-6 decision to Halli Amaro & Brooke Burling on the No. 5 court.
The Lobos continued to battle after the flip to the top flights, nearly grabbing points on the 1’s and 3’s courts.
On the No. 1 court, House & Kelsey fell 21-15, 21-14 to Arizona’s twins, Madison & McKenna Witt, while Baro & Victoria Spragg lost 21-10, 21-18 to Olivia Macdonald & Olivia Hallarm on the No. 3 court.
However, the Lobos were able to stave off the sweep as Sours & Rugland rebounded from their loss vs. ASU with an emphatic 21-14, 21-11 over Mia Mason & Kendra Dahlke on the No. 2 court.
“They lost a heartbreaker, a two-pointer to Arizona State,” Nelson said of Sours & Rugland. “We said, ‘You’ve got about 15 minutes to talk about and then you’ve got to bounce back and prepare for another big match.’ And they bounced back and played their best match of the year after losing a heartbreaker. So it was really good to see them be tough like that.”
With their win, the duo made the final score 4-1 and improved to 5-3 on the year.
Arizona State 3, New Mexico 2
1. Cassie House & Ashley Kelsey (UNM) def. Bianca Arellano & Whitney Follette (ASU): 21-19, 21-19
2. Oluoma Okaro & Madison Berridge (ASU) def. Devanne Sours & Lise Rugland (UNM): 21-11, 16-21, 16-14
3. Cassidy Pickrell & Katelyn Carballo (ASU) def. Jackie Baro & Carly Beddingfield (UNM): 21-15, 21-11
4. Marisa Doran & Eastyn Baleto (UNM) def. Bethany Wedepohl & Sydney Palmer (ASU): 21-14, 21-17
5. Mia Rivera & Katie Cross (ASU) def. Lauren Twitty & Julia Warren (UNM): 21-18, 21-17
Ex. Sage Patchell & Ellyson Lundberg (ASU) def. Victoria Spragg & Emily Nenninger (UNM): 21-15, 21-7
Order of Finish: 5, 4, 3, 1, *2
*Clinched win
Arizona 4, New Mexico 1
1. McKenna Witt & Madison Witt (UA) def. Cassie House & Ashley Kelsey (UNM) 21-15, 21-14
2. Devanne Sours & Lise Rugland (UNM) def Mia Mason & Kendra Dahlke (UA): 21-14, 21-11
3. Olivia Macdonald & Olivia Hallarm (UA) def. Jackie Baro & Victoria Spragg (UNM): 21-10, 21-18
4. Hailey Delvin & Sam Manley (UA) def. Eastyn Baleto & Marisa Doran (UNM): 21-15, 21-10
5. Halli Amaro & Brooke Burling (UA) def. Julia Warren & Lauren Twitty (UNM): 10-21, 21-19, 15-6
Order of Finish: 4, 5, *1, 3, 2
*Cinched win
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