ASU beach volleyball kicked off the new year by announcing the building of a new facility featuring four new sand courts as well as seating for spectators.
The new facility is anticipated to be ready to host during the 2022 season, according to Sun Devil Athletics. The courts, which will be located on the Tempe campus, will also host tournaments and community events.
"Now our (facilities) are going to be better than anyone else's in the country based on what I've seen," said head coach Brad Keenan. "The sand should be some of the hardest sand to play in, so it will give us a true home court advantage."
The on-campus location will certainly benefit the team, since it currently practices at PERA Club, also located in Tempe but a few miles away from campus.
"We are crazy excited about it. Every day at practice we are talking about the new courts and the new sand that's coming," sophomore Taryn Ames said.
The Sun Devils will kick off their season in the Grand Canyon Classic, which begins Feb. 25. The tournament will feature Boise State, as well as in-state rivals GCU and UA.
"I'm excited to go play against (GCU and UA) and say, 'No, this is our state,' and show that rivalry of the state and how talented we are as a team," sophomore Kate Fitzgerald said.
Keenan said the team's goal is to qualify for the NCAA tournament at the end of the season. This year, the NCAA expanded the tournament from eight to 16 teams, giving the Sun Devils a better chance of qualifying.
"Since it expanded, that's our goal is making to the tournament," Keenan said.
This year, the team will have six new faces join the team as a part of the class of 2025. The six freshmen are Katie Blomberg, Rylie Kael, Anya Pemberton, Lillie Seymour, Kylie Wickley and Kaitlyn Winkelman.
Last year the team finished just below .500 with a 10-12 record, but this year the team is hoping the freshman class will help improve that record.
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"I think there's a good chance that at least half of them will play," Keenan said of his freshman class.
The season will conclude with the Pac-12 championship, which will be held in Tucson on Apr. 28-30.
Reach the reporter at ahoppes1@asu.edu and follow @aviannahoppes on Twitter.
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