TEMPE – The Arizona State volleyball team and head coach Sanja Tomasevic, unveiled its 2017 non-conference schedule, Monday afternoon.
The slate features a total of four non-conference tournaments to be played over a span of four weeks, and includes a meeting with NCAA tournament team Boise State.
For the first time since 2011, Arizona State is set to open the season within the friendly confines of Wells Fargo Arena, as the Maroon and Gold will play host to the Sun Devil Classic Aug. 25-26. The Sun Devils will welcome Weber State, Boise State and North Dakota State and compete in three matches over the course of two days of play. On Friday, Aug. 25 the Sun Devils will officially ring in the Sanja Tomasevic era with a pair of matches against Weber State and North Dakota State, to be played at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., respectively. The Sun Devils will then cap the home stand with a meeting with Boise State the following evening, tentatively scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.
Arizona State will then hit the road for three consecutive weeks, beginning with a trek to Spokane, Wash., Sep. 1-2, for a trio of meetings with Nevada, Gonzaga and Portland State.
The following weekend, the Sun Devils will hop on Interstate 17, traveling 150 miles north to compete in the NAU Tournament, Sep. 8-9. The Maroon and Gold will face off with Cal State Bakersfield and host Northern Arizona on Fri., Sep. 8, before wrapping up the trip with a match against Utah State.
The Sun Devils will round out the non-conference slate at the UT Arlington-hosted Maverick Classic, Sep. 15-16. Arizona State will take on Lamar Fri., Sep. 15 followed by a pair of meetings with Houston Baptist and Texas Arlington respectively on Sep. 16.
In the first year of Tomasevic's tenure, the Sun Devil roster will feature a strong infusion of newcomers and returners. In April, Tomasevic and her staff welcomed a signing class of eight featuring transfers Peyton Grahovac (Long Beach State), Brooke Westphal (South Florida State College) and Alexa Lister (Louisiana Tech/daughter of 2000 Sun Devil Hall of Fame inductee Alton Lister), as well as incoming freshmen Griere Hughes, Danica Krstonošic, Shelbie Dobmeier, Megan Beedie and Mary Vidal.
"I am beyond excited about this new group of Sun Devils," said Tomasevic following the announcement of the class in May. "They are a group of high caliber athletes who excel both on the court and in the classroom."
The Sun Devils will be backed by an All-American coaching staff featuring assistant coaches Macey Gardner and Carlos Moreno. Gardner, Arizona State's all-time kills leader, returns home after a brief tenure as an assistant at Liberty University. Moreno, the 2004 AVCA Player of the Year and standout setter at BYU, comes to Tempe after previously serving as a graduate assistant under the direction of Amanda Berkley at Southern Mississippi University and an 11-year professional playing career.
Full 2017 Non-Conference Schedule:
Home Tournament – Sun Devil Classic
Aug 25, 2017
11:00 a.m. -- ASU v Weber St.
2:00 p.m. -- Boise St v North Dakota St.
7:00 p.m. -- ASU v North Dakota St.
Aug 26, 2017
9:30 a.m. -- Weber St v Boise St.
2:00 p.m. -- NDSU v Weber St.
5:00 p.m. -- ASU v Boise St.
Gonzaga Tournament
Sep 1, 2017
11:00 a.m. -- ASU v UNR
5:00 p.m. -- UNR v Portland St.
7:00 p.m. -- Gonzaga v ASU
Sep 2, 2017
11:00 a.m. -- Gonzaga v UNR
1:00 p.m. -- ASU v Portland St.
6:00 p.m. -- Gonzaga v Portland St.
NAU Tournament
Sep 8, 2017
10:00 a.m. -- ASU v Cal State Bakersfield
12:00 a.m. -- NAU v USU
4:00 p.m. -- USU v Cal State Bakersfield
6:00 pm NAU v ASU
Sep 9, 2017
10:00 a.m. -- ASU v USU
Noon -- NAU v Cal State Bakersfield
UT Arlington Tournament
Sep 15, 2017
10:00 a.m. -- UCD v Lamar
2:30 p.m. -- UCD v Houston Baptist
5:00 p.m. -- ASU v Lamar
7:00 p.m. -- UTA v Houston Baptist
Sep 16, 2017
10:00 p.m. -- ASU v Houston Baptist
12:00 p.m. -- Texas Arlington v Lamar
6:00 p.m. -- Texas Arlington v ASU
"I am so excited to get back in the gym with this completely new group of players," noted Tomasevic. "I love our core of returners. They have been amazing this spring and have set some solid ground work for the newcomers. We have the opportunity to learn about ourselves and set the foundation for the future while competing with some talented teams this preseason."
The slate features a total of four non-conference tournaments to be played over a span of four weeks, and includes a meeting with NCAA tournament team Boise State.
For the first time since 2011, Arizona State is set to open the season within the friendly confines of Wells Fargo Arena, as the Maroon and Gold will play host to the Sun Devil Classic Aug. 25-26. The Sun Devils will welcome Weber State, Boise State and North Dakota State and compete in three matches over the course of two days of play. On Friday, Aug. 25 the Sun Devils will officially ring in the Sanja Tomasevic era with a pair of matches against Weber State and North Dakota State, to be played at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., respectively. The Sun Devils will then cap the home stand with a meeting with Boise State the following evening, tentatively scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.
Arizona State will then hit the road for three consecutive weeks, beginning with a trek to Spokane, Wash., Sep. 1-2, for a trio of meetings with Nevada, Gonzaga and Portland State.
The following weekend, the Sun Devils will hop on Interstate 17, traveling 150 miles north to compete in the NAU Tournament, Sep. 8-9. The Maroon and Gold will face off with Cal State Bakersfield and host Northern Arizona on Fri., Sep. 8, before wrapping up the trip with a match against Utah State.
The Sun Devils will round out the non-conference slate at the UT Arlington-hosted Maverick Classic, Sep. 15-16. Arizona State will take on Lamar Fri., Sep. 15 followed by a pair of meetings with Houston Baptist and Texas Arlington respectively on Sep. 16.
In the first year of Tomasevic's tenure, the Sun Devil roster will feature a strong infusion of newcomers and returners. In April, Tomasevic and her staff welcomed a signing class of eight featuring transfers Peyton Grahovac (Long Beach State), Brooke Westphal (South Florida State College) and Alexa Lister (Louisiana Tech/daughter of 2000 Sun Devil Hall of Fame inductee Alton Lister), as well as incoming freshmen Griere Hughes, Danica Krstonošic, Shelbie Dobmeier, Megan Beedie and Mary Vidal.
"I am beyond excited about this new group of Sun Devils," said Tomasevic following the announcement of the class in May. "They are a group of high caliber athletes who excel both on the court and in the classroom."
The Sun Devils will be backed by an All-American coaching staff featuring assistant coaches Macey Gardner and Carlos Moreno. Gardner, Arizona State's all-time kills leader, returns home after a brief tenure as an assistant at Liberty University. Moreno, the 2004 AVCA Player of the Year and standout setter at BYU, comes to Tempe after previously serving as a graduate assistant under the direction of Amanda Berkley at Southern Mississippi University and an 11-year professional playing career.
Full 2017 Non-Conference Schedule:
Home Tournament – Sun Devil Classic
Aug 25, 2017
11:00 a.m. -- ASU v Weber St.
2:00 p.m. -- Boise St v North Dakota St.
7:00 p.m. -- ASU v North Dakota St.
Aug 26, 2017
9:30 a.m. -- Weber St v Boise St.
2:00 p.m. -- NDSU v Weber St.
5:00 p.m. -- ASU v Boise St.
Gonzaga Tournament
Sep 1, 2017
11:00 a.m. -- ASU v UNR
5:00 p.m. -- UNR v Portland St.
7:00 p.m. -- Gonzaga v ASU
Sep 2, 2017
11:00 a.m. -- Gonzaga v UNR
1:00 p.m. -- ASU v Portland St.
6:00 p.m. -- Gonzaga v Portland St.
NAU Tournament
Sep 8, 2017
10:00 a.m. -- ASU v Cal State Bakersfield
12:00 a.m. -- NAU v USU
4:00 p.m. -- USU v Cal State Bakersfield
6:00 pm NAU v ASU
Sep 9, 2017
10:00 a.m. -- ASU v USU
Noon -- NAU v Cal State Bakersfield
UT Arlington Tournament
Sep 15, 2017
10:00 a.m. -- UCD v Lamar
2:30 p.m. -- UCD v Houston Baptist
5:00 p.m. -- ASU v Lamar
7:00 p.m. -- UTA v Houston Baptist
Sep 16, 2017
10:00 p.m. -- ASU v Houston Baptist
12:00 p.m. -- Texas Arlington v Lamar
6:00 p.m. -- Texas Arlington v ASU