9-17 (4-12BWC)
UC Santa Barbara
13-14 (8-8BWC)
UCSB Recovers From First-Set Loss to Cal Poly in 3-1 Win
11/26/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — After dropping the first set to Cal Poly on Wednesday night in Mott Athletics Center, the UC Santa Barbara women's volleyball team rallied to take the next three for a close 23-25, 25-19, 29-27, 25-23 Thanksgiving Eve win in the season finale for both Blue-Green rivals.
In the opening game, Mustang freshman setter Taylor Nelson had eight assists along with four digs, while junior outside hitter Hannah Schleis capitalized on her six swings by coming up with three kills. An ace by Nelson gave Cal Poly a 20-18 lead, but the Gauchos wouldn't go away, tying it three more times. That was before back-to-back kills from sophomore middle blocker Taylor Gruenewald and freshman outside hitter Raeann Greisen made it 1-0.
Then in the second set, three consecutive points provided UCSB with a 14-11 advantage, and while the Mustangs got within 17-15 on a Schleis kill, the Gauchos scored the next four on the way to squaring things up heading into the break.
Late in the third set, the Gauchos led 23-19, but the Mustangs would tie it at 23-all thanks to a trio of kills from Greisen, Gruenewald and Schleis, followed by an attacking error on the other side of the net, prompting a UCSB timeout. Cal Poly then had a set-point scenario unfold before itself at 26-25, and soon afterward was locked up at 27, but UCSB registered kills at both junctures, before an attacking error clinched the outcome following the latter opportunity.
The Mustangs again showed promise, however, in the last set, getting out to a 12-9 lead on three straight kills by freshman middle blocker Savannah Niemen and Greisen, and also 13-9 off a Gaucho error coming out of their own timeout.
UCSB quickly battled back to 15-all, though, before eventually moving in front 18-17. Greisen deftly delivered an ace to bring Cal Poly to a 24-23 deficit, but an ensuing Kristen Berlo kill brought the match to an end.
Greisen finished with 15 kills, while Gruenewald added 13 and Schleis 10. Nelson had 36 assists as well as 18 digs. Junior libero Nicole Kessler made 20 digs, and freshman fellow defensive specialist Bailey Roach chipped in 12.
Cal Poly, one of the youngest teams in the nation, finished 9-17 overall.
The Mustangs, who didn't have a senior on the roster, will enter the upcoming offseason able to bring back the entire lineup for 2015, starting with sand competition in April.
