SAND DEVILS LOSE HEARTBREAKER TO TCU IN BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

FORT WORTH, Texas – The No. 12 ranked Arizona State Sand Devils lost 3-2 in the Big 12 Championships to No. 2 TCU, in a duel that came down to the third set of the No. 2 pairs.

On the first day of Big 12 play, the Sand Devils swept the University of Arizona for the third time this season, but lost to TCU in their first try. Then, by virtue of double elimination ASU played Utah for a second shot at TCU.

In the Utah dual, Arizona State’s No. 1 and No. 2 pairs delivered wins, setting up a 2-0 lead. However, Utah senior Kylie Pitzak and graduate student Elly Collins won the No. 4 pair.

They defeated the junior pairing of Tori Clement and Kendall Whitmarsh in the third set with a score of 15-13. This was the first time Utah won a match against the Sand Devils all season.

On court two, the ASU pairing of senior Anya Pemberton and junior Daniella Kensinger took to the sand. They battled Senior Sonja Wessel and graduate student Maeve Griffin from the Utes.

The Sun Devil duo took the first set 21-15. Then with the score 20-18 in the second, Kensinger set the ball to Pemberton, who slammed the ball to the far right side of the court for the kill.

They won the set 21-18, earning the clinching point in the dual and advanced to play TCU. However, the Horned Frogs who had yet to lose at home in 63 games over a five year span.

The victory improved the Sand Devils record to 22-13 overall, a new record for single-season team wins. They also remained undefeated against Utah in nine games dating back to 2019.

The win also sealed a season where Arizona State did not fall to an unranked opponent. This is the second time the program accomplished the feat under head coach Kristen Glattfelder.

In the finals, the No. 4 and 5 pairs played to completion before the top three pairs hit the court. ASU and TCU split wins in these pairs and were tied going into the final three matches.

On the TCU side of court one, Senior Taina Alvarez and graduate student Daniela Moreno hit the sand. They had played together for five years, including an appearance in the 2024 Olympics.

As for Arizona State, juniors Samaya Morin and Ava Kirunchyk were paired together. It was a direct rematch from the day before, where the Sand Devils got swept by the TCU pair.  

In the ninth point of play, Morin went down with a left ankle injury after landing awkwardly. With no substitutions after the coin toss, a medical timeout went into effect.

Morin had to return to play, otherwise the match would go down as a forfeit. An athletic trainer taped her ankle and she re-entered the game without the ability to perform a jump serve.

Despite the injury, the Sand Devils overcame the Horned Frogs 21-18 in two sets. 

Prior to this, TCU claimed the No. 3 pair victory, setting a showdown on court two. The number two court featured Sophomores Ava Williamson and Oliva McElroy for the Sun Devils.

The Horned Frogs had Seniors Hailey Hamlett and Maria Gonzalez on the sand. The first set went to TCU, winning the bout 21-11 and taking the lead.

All the Horned Frogs needed to do was win the second set, and they would claim the first ever Big 12 title. Then in the second set, Arizona State mounted a comeback, batting back to take a 21-13 win. 

Now, both teams had one final opportunity to take home the first ever Big 12 championship.

TCU was the first to hit 10 points, with ASU trailing by two, but the Sand Devils would score a pair of points to tie the set. 

From this point forward, the intensity of the match rose dramatically. Several service errors for Hamlett prevented TCU from the match point and kept ASU in contention. 

They traded match points back and forth until the score was tied at 26 points.

After the next serve, Hamlett rolled the ball just over Williamson, allowing TCU to take match point for the eleventh time. This would put the serve into Hamlett’s hand with the score 27-26.

On the Sun Devil return, McElroy set the ball to Williamson who came down for the kill. But Gonzalez leapt up with a block and sent the ball down over the ASU side to win the match.

TCU won their 12th championship point with a final dual score of 3-2. The Horned Frogs will make their fifth straight NCAA tournament appearance by virtue of their AVCA ranking.

The Big 12 Championship was not an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. Eight other conferences currently lock the winning program into the tournament.

Arizona State needed the win to aid in their consideration as only four spots remain open. The team will tune into the NCAA selection show, which sets the 12 team bracket on Sunday, April 27 at 1 p.m.