Cal Poly to Host UC Davis and Pacific
11/7/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
This Week....: The Mustangs will continue conference play this week matches at home against UC Davis and Pacific. Cal Poly will play UCD on Friday, Nov. 9 and Pacific on Nov. 10. Both matches will begin at 7 pm.
• For the seventh year, institutions will air all home and conference matches on BigWest.TV, and beginning with the 2012 season, all BigWest.TV events will air free of charge. Head to http://www.bigwest.org/ ...this week for weekly event schedules.
What's coming up: With the conclusion of the homestand, Cal Poly will return to the road to play Cal State Fullerton (Nov. 16) and UC Riverside (Nov. 17). The Matadors entered the week 18-8 overall and 9-5 in Big West play while the Highlanders entered the week 6-20 overall and 0-12 in conference matches.
• In 2012, Big West volleyball expands to 10 teams with the addition of the University of Hawai'i. The Rainbow Wahine competed in the Big West from 1985-95 and posted a 165-31 Big West record and an overall mark of 302-68.
... The Mustangs have not advanced to the postseason since the 2007 season... Overall the team has made 14 appearances and post a 13-14 overall record.
A Quick Look at the Teams:
CP UCD Pac
Record: 3-21 13-13 18-8
BWC Record: 2-10 7-6 6-7
Kills per Set: 11.64 13.04 13.23
Hitting % .150 .204 .218
Digs per Set: 14.71 15.78 12.52
Blocks per Set: 1.53 2.34 2.28
Service Aces Per Set: 0.79 0.90 1.10
UC Davis: The Aggies enter the match 13-13 overall and 7-6 in conference matches after splitting two contests last week. UCD defeated UC Irvine in three sets, but lost in four to Long Beach State. Prior to the LBSU loss, UCD had won three straight. Allison Whitson leads the team with 3.73 kills per set. Devon Damelio is the second Aggie averaging better then three kills per set with 3.22. Whitson also adds 3.19 digs with Damelio helping out with 2.30. Victoria Lee is the lone Aggie averaging better then a block per set with 1.23.
Pacific: The Tigers entered the week with an 18-8 overall record and 6-7 in Big West matches after falling to Long Beach State in four sets, but defeating UC Irvine in five sets this past week. Pacific has played five-set matches in six of its last seven contests. Megan Birch leads the team with 3.44 kills per set while Kat Schulz and Jennifer Sanders add 2.71 and 2.54 kills respectively. Hannah Clancy dishes out 10.20 assists per set while Koala Matsuoka leads the team with 4.18 digs per set. Gillian Howard plays big at the net with 1.24 blocks per set.
Cal State Northridge Recap: CSUN outhit the Mustangs .279 to .180 in the three set match. Overall the score was tied 22 times, 18 in the first set alone and there was 11 total lead changes. The Matadors held a slight edge all the categories; assists (40-37), aces (7-5), digs (47-46) and blocks 7-5). Junior Holly Franks led the team with 10 kills on 30 swings (.267) followed by freshman Hannah Schleis with seven kills. Marianne Gera had six kills on seven swings (.714) Freshman of Maddie Kuber dished out 14 assists in the match with fellow freshman Nicole Kessler leading the team with 11 digs. Megan McConnell was credited with four total blocks (1 solo) to go along with four kills.
Hawai'i Recap: In the three set match at Hawai'i, Cal Poly was outhit .317 to .163 by the No. 9 team in the nation... UH had 47 kills to Cal Poly's 30 and eight blocks compared to five for the Mustangs. Holly Franks led the team with eight kills with Chelsea Hardin and Hannah Schleis each adding six kills. Junior Steffi Sooter led the team with 10 digs...
Megan McConnell Wins BWC Player of the Week: Junior Megan McConnell (Mountain View, Calif./Mountain View HS) helped Cal Poly snap a program record for longest winless streak to capture the Big West Women's Volleyball Player of the Week award. The Mustangs, which had lost 15 straight matches, defeated UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton at home in a pair of five-set thrillers with McConnell leading the way. The middle blocker averaged 2.30 kills, 2.60 digs and 1.40 blocks per set while hitting a solid .346 (23-5-52) to get Cal Poly into the win column. McConnell hit .440 with 13 kills, six digs and eight blocks in the win over the Highlanders. She set a season-high in kills. Against the Titans, McConnell posted a double-double with 10 kills and a career-high 20 digs. She chipped in six blocks and swung at a .259 (10-3-27) clip for the contest.
Big West Play By The Numbers...Kills: In Big West Conference play the Mustangs are led by Holly Franks with 2.58 kills per set with senior Molly Pon adding 2.37 kills. Junior Chelsea Hardin is third on the team with 2.34 kills with Hannah Schleis helping out with 1.90 kills. Juniors Megan McConnell and Marianne Gera rounds out the players with better then one kills per set with 1.51 and 1.12 respectively.
BWC.... Digs : Four players on the team are averaging better then two digs per set in conference play led by Steffi Sooter with 3.67 digs per set. Junior Megan McConnell adds 2.67 with freshman Nicole Kessler helping out with 2.53 digs. Freshman Maddie Kuber is the fourth Mustang with 2.21 digs...
Overall...: Holly Franks leads the team overall with 2.75 kills per set followed by senior Molly Pon with 2.26. Junior Chelsea Hardin is third on the team with 2.16 kills per set. Junior Steffi Sooter leads the team with 3.10 digs per set.
Freshmen Report Card: The Mustangs have a number of freshman contributing across the board.... Overall Hannah Schleis is fourth on the team with 1.81 kills per set followed by Maddie Kuber with 1.08.... Kuber also leads the team with 5.41 assists per set while adding 2.19 digs per set.... Nicole Kessler adds 2.94 digs per set .....
Playing the Best.... : The Mustangs have faced the No. 2 team (Texas) and the No. 19 team (San Diego) in the first week of the season.... Two weeks later the Mustangs faced No. 5 USC and No. 17 San Diego (again)... During the BWC season Cal Poly will face No. 8 Hawai'i twice...
Missing in Action.... : Jennifer Keddy, a two-time AVCA All-America selection, was named the 2011 Big West Conference Player of the Year when she led the conference with 4.06 kills per set is sidelined for the season with a shoulder injury. The 6-4 middle blocker was also third in hitting percentage with a .339 clip and blocks with a 1.22 average. Keddy's 4.85 points per set average ranks first in the Big West and 22nd in the nation. Her all-around skills include 1.76 digs per set with her career-high 19 coming against UC Irvine. She was also selected for the national A2 team.
Triple -Double.... : True freshman Maddie Kuber led the team to a five set win over Idaho when she tallied a triple-double with 15 kills, 30 assists and 10 digs.... Her kills came on 38 swings (.184) while adding one solo block and three assisted blocks...
Franks Earns All-Tournament in Utah Classic: Junior Holly Franks earned all-tournament honors when she averaged 3.45 kills per set... Franks had 17 kills against Utah Valley and 13 against Nevada... In the loss to Utah she tallied eight... For the tournament she hit .202 recording 38 kills on 84 swings....
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—The Cal Poly volleyball team lost to Cal State Northridge in a Big West Conference volleyball match on Thursday, pushing the Matadors in two of the three sets, by set scores of 25-22, 25-17 and 25-22. Junior Holly Franks led the team with 10 kills on 30 swings while true freshman Hannah Schleis tallied seven. Junior Marianne Gera adding six kills on seven swings with Megan McConnell, Molly Pon and Chelsea Hardin all adding four kills. Mahina Haina led CSUN with 11 killls with Csey Hinger and Britney Graff each adding 10 kills CSUN held a 43-38 advantage in kills and edged the Mustangs, 7-5, in service aces. CSUN also outblocked the Mustangs 7-5. The first set opened with the Mustangs holding a 5-4 lead on an assisted block by Schleis and McConnell. The team continued to trade points until CSUN took a 20-18 lead on a solo block by Sydney Gedyn. CSUN made it a four point lead (22-18) when a kill by Schleis cut the lead. Down to set point, 24-19, The Mustangs scored three straight (24-22) to force a CSUN timeout, but the Matadors closed out the set, 25-22. CSUN outhit the Mustangs .290 to .188 in the set with each team recording 13 kills. The second set opened like the first with the teams trading points when CSUN broke out to a 9-3 lead on a kill by Hinger. CSUN expanded the lead to nine (13-4) and maintained the lead at 18-7 on a kill by Haina. CSUN went on to win the second set, 25-17. The third set started out all Cal Poly as the Mustangs built a 12-2 lead on kills by McConnell and a service ace by Stacia Williams forcing a CSUN timeout. A kill by McConnell kept the Mustangs up 14-8, but CSUN cut the lead to 15-12 on a service error by the Mustangs. Cal Poly maintained a three point advantage, 17-14, on a kill by Garrett and built that advantage to five (20-15) on a kill by Franks. CSUN cut the lead to three (22-20) on an attack error by the Mustangs and went on a 5-0 run to close out the set and the match, 25-22. Overall the match had 22 ties, 18 coming in the first set, and 11 lead changes.
HONOLULU, HI – The 9th –ranked Hawai'i proved to be too much for the Mustangs as Cal Poly fell in a Big West Conference volleyball match in three sets on Saturday in Honolulu. Hawai'i won by set scores of 25-19, 25-17 and 25-19. With the loss the Mustangs fall to 3-21 overall on the season and 2-10 in Big West matches while Hawai'i improves to 21-2 overall and 14-0 in Big West contests. Junior Holly Franks led the team with eight kills while freshman Hannah Schleis and junior Chelsea Hardin each added six kills. Sophomore Shannon Garrett and freshman Maddie Kuber recorded 15 and 13 assists respectively with Kuber adding five digs. Junior Steffi Sooter led the team in digs with 10 while fellow juniors Megan McConnell and Marianne Gera were each credited with one solo and one assisted block each. Hawai'i was led by Emily Hartong with 14 kills with Jane Croson adding 13. Overall Hawai'i hit .317 compared to the Mustangs .163 recording 47 kills to Cal Poly's 30. The first set was all Hawai'i as the Bow's controlled most of the set from start to finish with the teams last tied at 9-9. UH would go on to pull away for a 25-19 win. The second set was another story as the Mustangs fought to stay with the nationally ranked team. Cal Poly was tied with UH as late at 16-16 when Hawai'i went on a 9-1 run to close out the second set, 25-17. The third set was a back and forth battle until UH went on a 4-0 run and opened an 11-6 lead. The Mustangs mad a run late in the set to close within four at 22-18, but it would not be enough as UH would win the set and the match, 25-19.
