14-4, 6-1
UC Riverside
6-14, 1-6
Cal Poly Overwhelms UC Riverside, Wins Sixth Consecutive Match
10/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Cal Poly volleyball won its sixth straight match and improved to 14-4 overall and 6-1 in Big West Conference play after a three-set sweep of UC Riverside (25-7, 26-24, 25-19) on Saturday evening inside the Mott Athletics Center. Cal Poly freshman outside hitter Adlee Van Winden delivered a match-high 18 kills, junior middle blocker Taylor Gruenewald supplied 12 kills and sophomore setter Taylor Nelson compiled 39 assists.
The Mustangs haven't dropped a match since Sept. 26 – a span of 20 days – and the three-set win was the eighth such triumph for Cal Poly this season. It's the first time since 2008 that the Mustangs have compiled this many sweep victories in a single season and not since 2007 has Cal Poly amassed six successive wins in conference play.
Cal Poly used an attack percentage of .520 (13 kills without a single error) during the first set to take advantage of the match early. The Mustangs hit .244 in the second frame and .487 in the third to secure the three-set win.
For UC Riverside, Alexis Urbach sent home nine kills, Chelsea Doyle produced 23 assists and Maddie Hubbell led the Highlanders with 11 digs.
During the opening sequence, Gruenewald had four kills and Nelson added 12 assists as the Mustangs delivered a sideout percentage of 87% (7-for-8) and blistered the initial set with 13 kills compared to only seven for the Highlanders. Cal Poly secured leads of 14-4 and 21-8 before two successive kills and a bad set by UCR gave the Mustangs a 25-7, first-set victory.
Cal Poly's Van Winden came alive during the second set, as the freshman produced seven kills and Nelson amassed 15 assists. The Mustangs got seven digs from senior Nicole Kessler during the middle frame. With Cal Poly ahead 22-20 after a Van Winden kill, the Highlanders fought back to tie the set after a kill by Fabiana Rosas. After a service error on UCR and a kill by senior outside hitter Hannah Schleis, the Mustangs secured the second-set win, 26-24 and a 2-0 match advantage.
The third set featured seven Van Winden kills, five from Gruenewald and four apiece from Schleis and sophomore outside hitter Raeann Greisen. The Mustangs compiled 22 kills during the final frame compared to only three hitting errors and capitalized on 24 digs (seven by Kessler). With the Mustangs holding a 24-17 lead after a kill by Schleis, Urbach brought the Highlanders to within 24-18 after her ninth kill. It was as close as UCR would get, as Gruenewald sent home a match-clinching kill and delivered the Mustangs a 25-18 third-set win and sweep triumph.
Greisen had nine kills, Kessler delivered a match-best 17 digs and Schleis sent home seven kills in the victory. Nelson produced three service aces and sophomore middle blocker Savannah Niemen recorded five kills for the Mustangs.
Cal Poly is 6-1 at home this season and hasn't dropped a home match since Sept. 19 against LMU. Since losing two straight from Sept. 19-26, Cal Poly has won six straight times, including a perfect 5-0 record at home.
Cal Poly embarks on its lengthiest conference road trip of the season when visiting CSUN (7 p.m. PT Friday, Oct. 23) and Long Beach State (7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24).
