ASU volleyball’s freshman Kylie Pickrell and junior Cassidy Pickrell, sisters both biologically and on the court, have contributed to ASU volleyball in their first year at the school.
However, a season ending injury for Cassidy led both sisters to take a break from the sand.
The two shared the court for the first time at ASU this past fall when Cassidy played as an outside hitter, accompanied by Kylie as a setter. When March approached, the two decided to expand their skills by taking on the sand.
“I’ve been playing it since I was 11, and being able to come here and do both was a plus for me," Kylie said. "It was perfect timing for sand volleyball getting announced as an NCAA sport and then me coming here."
On Feb. 26, at the ASU Maroon and Gold Scrimmage in Tempe, the two showcased their talent as a pair for the first time. However, this moment was short lived when Cassidy injured her left elbow when Kylie attempted to block the ball. They weren't sure exactly how the injury occurred, but Kylie thought Cassidy might have knocked the elbow on the net or on herself. Upon inspection, Cassidy walked away with an UCL tear.
After the scrimmage, Kylie expressed hopes for more court time with her older sister in the future.
“I’ve never actually gotten to play with her, so it’s a different experience trying to learn how to play with each other,” she said. “I hope everything works out so we can keep playing together.”
However, Cassidy’s injury on that first night put an end to her beach volleyball season. She declined to comment.
Kylie played against Florida, New Mexico, Colorado Mesa, South Carolina, Loyola and Long Beach. Playing until March 11 with partners Natalie Braun and Blair Robalin, Kylie finished her freshman season with a 2-4 record.
The injury to Cassidy and a discussion with indoor volleyball head coach Stevie Mussie prompted Kylie to step away from beach volleyball. In the end, the two wanted to take precaution and avoid another injury, which could prevent Kylie from furthering her indoor career. During the fall, Kylie sat out a few matches due to a sprained MCL.
“I know I want to do indoor after college, and I had to take a step back and look big picture,” Kylie said. “Like, ‘What am I going to be missing out on in indoor in the spring?’”
If Kylie decided to devote her time to sand, she would miss out on off-season training, which includes 20 hours a week and spring competitions. In addition, the indoor team is able to learn the coaching style of Mussie, who joined the crew in February.
“When we got the coaching change, we wanted to save the indoor in-season portion, so later in the spring, the new coach would have opportunities to coach and train our indoor team,” said beach volleyball interim coach Jacquelyn Bunker.
While not making an appearance on the sand for the rest of the season, Kylie will continue to participate in spring competitions with indoor.
“She just physically can’t be at two places at the same time,” Bunker said.
Related links:
ASU beach volleyball's top seed offers complementary skills
ASU beach volleyball sweeps Loyola Marymount, swept by USC
Reach the reporter at ncorr@asu.edu or follow @natalieorr19 on Twitter.
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