8-8
UC Santa Barbara
7-8
Mustangs Fall on the Road to UCSB in Four Sets
10/5/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Seniors Jennifer Keddy and Chelsea Hardin would each tally 12 kills, but it would not be enough as UC Santa Barbara defeated the Cal Poly volleyball team in four sets on Saturday. With the loss the Mustangs fall to 8-8 overall and 2-1 in conference matches while UCSB improves to 7-8 overall and 2-1 in Big West matches.
Cal Poly lost by set scores of, 25-27, 25-22, 25-16 and 25-21.
Cal Poly returns to the court when the team will travel to Hawai'i for a conference match on Saturday, Oct. 12.
Keddy's kills came on 27 swings (.370) while Hardin's came on 32 swings (.250). Sophomore Hannah Schleis recorded 11 kills and freshman Taylor Gruenewald added nine kills. Seniors Megan McConnell and Steffi Sooter each recorded 16 digs to lead the team.
Keddy also added three aces and five total blocks in the match. Maddie Kuber dished out 43 assists with seven digs.
UCSB hit .310 in the match while the Mustangs hit .209. Cal Poly held a 6-5 advantage in aces, 66-62 advantage in digs and outblocked UCSB, 14-7.
The first set opened with the teams trading points until a kill by Kuber lifted the Mustangs to a three point lead, 7-4, and a kill by Hardin made it 10-5. The Mustangs maintained a five point advantage until a UCSB 4-0 run cut the lead to one (11-10) forcing a Cal Poly timeout. The Mustangs did not relinquish the lead until Phoebe Grunt put away a kill for an 18-17 lead. Cal Poly would tie the set on a Keddy ace (20-20), and the teams would trade points with the Mustangs holding a 24-23 lead on a kill by Keddy. UCSB mounted a comeback and held a 25-24 lead with Cal Poly scoring three straight points to closeout the set, 27-25, on a kill by Keddy.
The teams battled back-and-forth in the second set until a kill by Keddy and an attack error by UCSB had the Mustangs holding a two point lead (12-10) and UCSB calling timeout. UCSB recorded three straight points to take a 16-15 lead. The teams would then trade points when UCSB scored three straight again for a 23-20 lead. Cal Poly fought off two set points until UCSB put away the set, 25-22, to even the match.
The third set opened with UCSB holding a 5-1 lead and the Mustangs calling timeout. UCSB would expand the lead to six (9-3) and would make it seven (12-5) on a kill by Jaylen Villauneva. The Mustangs would make a run with three straight points (18-12), but UCSB would win the third set, 25-16.
Cal Poly would gain a two point advantage (11-9) on an ace by Keddy after the teams traded points to open the fourth set. Kuber would give Cal Poly a three point lead (14-11) when she dumped a ball over the net with an assist from Sooter. UCSB scored three straight to take a 19-18 lead, and hold a 22-19 lead with Cal Poly calling its second timeout of the set. UCSB would finish off the set and the match with a 25-21 win.
