Santa Clara
Schleis and Conroy Win First, Cal Poly Outlasted in Three Saturday Matches
3/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Beach Volleyball
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – The Cal Poly sand volleyball team was defeated in all three of its matches during the initial day of the Santa Cruz Duals on Saturday, falling 5-0 to host Santa Clara, 4-1 to Cal and 4-1 to San Francisco at Main Beach. Cal Poly snatched four set victories against Cal in the second morning match, while the junior pairing of Hannah Schleis and Katie Conroy collected their first win of the season.
To open Saturday's action against 15th-ranked Santa Clara, the Mustangs managed two set victories, including one from the duo of sophomores Taylor Gruenewald and Anna Gorman (both pictured), during the opening round of the Saturday duals. In the third position, Gruenewald and Gorman were ousted by GiGi Cresto and Jensen Cunningham in three sets (21-18, 17-21, 11-15). After the Mustangs grabbed control early, the second set went to the Broncos. With the third set knotted at 10 apiece, Santa Clara's duo took control and closed out the match.
At No. 1, the Cal Poly freshman duo of Raeann Greisen and Taylor Nelson were beaten by Nikki Hess and Kirsten Mead in three sets (17-21, 21-15, 7-15), while junior Nicole Kessler and freshman Caihla Petiprin were defeated by Sabrina Clayton and Danielle Rottman (7-21, 12-21) in the second spot.
The Broncos finished off Cal Poly after juniors Katie Conroy and Hannah Schleis fell in two sets (17-21, 16-21) to Sarah Vaccaro and Katarina Inch in the fourth position and the Mustang tandem of sophomore Shannon Fouts and freshman Casey Carroll lost (9-21, 14-21) to Mary Shepherd and Kaity Edwards.
Against Cal, Schleis and Conroy battled back after falling in the first set at No. 4 (13-21), then grabbing the second and third sets (22-20, 15-11) over Allison Leong and Ashley Johnson, capturing their first win together this season.
Cal Poly's Gruenewald and Gorman won their opening set (21-12) over Cal's duo of Inanna Eshoo and Katie Regalia, but were pushed to a third set and eventually fell (21-23 and 10-15) at No. 3. The Mustang tandem of Kessler and Petiprin won their first set in the second spot over Bryce Bark and Emily Shults, but were also forced to a third set before succumbing in three (21-19, 15-21, 13-15).
In the first position, Cal Poly's Greisen and Nelson lost a two-set decision to Sarah Cole and Emily Lunt (21-23, 17-21), while Carroll and Fouts fell at No. 5 to Teya Neff and Sabrina Blackwell in straight sets (10-21, 12-21).
During the third match of the afternoon for the Mustangs, Conroy and Schleis won a two-set deicison over Kiara McKibben and Katarina Pilepic (21-15, 21-15) in the fourth position. It was the second win of the season for Conroy and Schleis, who improved to 2-2 when paired together.
In other action against the Dons, Greisen and Nelson tied their dual at one apiece with a second set victory, but were outlasted in three (20-22, 21-19, 13-15) by Courtney Sabahi and Valentina Zaloznik in the first position. Cal Poly's Kessler and Petiprin fell to Jessica Gaffney and Sarah Staengle in straight sets (15-21, 12-21) at No. 2 and Gorman and Gruenewald were beaten by Jessica Keenan and Oluoma Okaro in three sets (21-10, 14-21, 11-15).
USF's Anja Segota and Inbar Vinarsky were forced to a third set by Cal Poly's Carroll and Fouts, after the Mustang tandem won the first to grab the early momentum. Segota and Vinarsky battled back to down Carroll and Fouts at No. 5 (21-15, 16-21, 6-15) during the final match of the afternoon for Cal Poly.
Cal Poly (0-5) continues the Santa Cruz Duals at 9 a.m. Sunday with a Pairs Tournament.
No. 15 Santa Clara 5, Cal Poly 0
1. Nikki Hess/Kirsten Mead (SCU) def. Raeann Greisen/Taylor Nelson (CP); 21-17, 15-21, 15-7
2. Sabrina Clayton/Danielle Rottman (SCU) def. Nicole Kessler/Caihla Petiprin (CP); 21-7, 21-12
3. GiGi Cresto/Jensen Cunningham (SCU) def. Taylor Gruenewald/Anna Gorman (CP); 18-21, 21- 17, 15-11
4. Sarah Vaccaro/Katarina Inch (SCU) def. Katie Conroy/Hannah Schleis (CP); 21-17, 21-16
5. Mary Shepherd/Kaity Edwards (SCU) def. Shannon Fouts/Casey Carroll (CP); 21-9, 21-14
Cal 4, Cal Poly 1
1. Sarah Cole/Emily Lunt (Cal) def. Raeann Greisen/Taylor Nelson (CP); 23-21, 21-17
2. Bryce Bark/Emily Shults (Cal) def. Nicole Kessler/Caihla Petiprin (CP); 19-21, 21-15, 15-13
3. Inanna Eshoo/Katie Regalia (Cal) def. Taylor Gruenewald/Anna Gorman (CP); 12-21, 23-21, 15-10
4. Katie Conroy/Hannah Schleis (CP) def. Allison Leong/Ashley Johnson (Cal); 13-21, 22-20, 15- 11
5. Teya Neff/Sabrina Blackwell (Cal) def. Shannon Fouts/Casey Carroll (CP); 21-10, 21-12
San Francisco 4, Cal Poly 1
1. Courtney Sabahi/Valentina Zaloznik (USF) def. Raeann Greisen/Taylor Nelson (CP); 20-22, 21-19, 15-13
2. Jessica Gaffney/Sarah Staengle (USF) def. Nicole Kessler/Caihla Petiprin (CP); 21-15, 21-12
3. Jessica Keenan/Oluoma Okaro (USF) def. Anna Gorman/Taylor Gruenewald (CP); 10-21, 21-14, 15-13
4. Katie Conroy/Hannah Schleis (CP) def. Kiara McKibben/Katarina Pilepic (USF); 21-15, 21-15
5. Anja Segota/Inbar Vinarsky (USF) def. Casey Carroll/Shannon Fouts (CP); 15-21, 21-16, 15-6
