Oregon
Greisen and Nelson Win Both, Cal Poly Falls Twice During Season Finale
4/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Beach Volleyball
STANFORD, Calif. – The freshman duo of Raeann Greisen and Taylor Nelson won both of their matchups despite the Cal Poly sand volleyball team falling to Oregon, 3-2 and Stanford, 4-1 during the Stanford Invitational on Saturday afternoon. Cal Poly wrapped up its second season of sand volleyball this weekend with a trio of three-set defeats and a victory by the sophomore pairing of Taylor Gruenewald and Anna Gorman.
Against Oregon in Saturday's opener at the Arillaga Center for Sports, the Mustang tandem of Greisen and Nelson (both pictured) collected a two-set decision (21-17, 21-10) over Chelsea Keoho and Kacey Nady in the first position. The Cal Poly pair earned its second win of the season at No. 1, providing the Mustangs with momentum early.
Gorman and Gruenewald ousted Oregon's Taylor Agost and Maggie Scott in straight sets (21-9, 21-8) in the third position, which evened their season in the third position at 5-5. Gruenewald and Gorman seized their team-leading seventh win of the season and fifth consecutive victory overall.
Oregon captured the next three sets to claim victory, including a two-set win by Shellsy Ashen and Liz Brenner (21-16, 21-12) in the second spot over junior Nicole Kessler and freshman Caihla Petiprin. Natalie Bookout Gonzalez and Frankie Shebby managed a twin set victory (21-17, 21-19) over Cal Poly's Hannah Schleis and Katie Conroy and the Mustang team of freshman Casey Carroll and sophomore Shannon Fouts was outlasted by Marne Hall-Poirier and Roni LaPierre in three sets (21-18, 19-21, 15-12).
Greisen and Nelson picked up where they left off earlier in the afternoon, as the talented Cal Poly duo used a three-set comeback (19-21, 21-18, 15-10) against the Stanford tandem of Laruen Birks and Brittany Howard at No. 1 for their second victory of the day. For the Mustangs, it would be the only win against the host-Cardinal, as Stanford earned four matchup successes the rest of the way at Stadium Courts.
Greisen and Nelson finished the season with a 3-10 overall record, battling some of the nation's finest talent in the first position. Six of the Cal Poly freshman tandem's seven matchups were pushed to a third set this season, as the pair earned their first win against Boise State on April 4 in Sacramento.
Stanford used victories by Jordan Burgess and Marete Lutz (21-17, 21-13) over Gruenewald and Gorman (snapping the sophomore duos' five-match winning streak) at No. 3 and two-set ousting of Cal Poly's Carroll and Fouts (21-10, 21-14) by Inky Ajanku and Grace Kennedy in the fifth position to snatch a 2-1 advantage.
The Mustangs, however, would battle each of the next two matchups to third and decisive set, including Kessler and Petiprin, who fell to Jordan Burgess and Marete Lutz (21-19, 10-21, 15-9). Schleis and Conroy also forced a third set during their matchup at No. 4, grabbing the first but falling in the next two sets against the Cardinal pair of Kelsey Humphreys and Catherine Raquel (13-21, 21-15, 15-9).
During exhibition action at No. 6, the Cal Poly freshman pair of Bailey Roach and Savannah Nieman was edged in three sets (14-21, 21-13, 15-12) against Stanford's Dana Ritchie and Karina Robinson.
Cal Poly won the program's third match during its two-year history against Boise State earlier this season and finishes with a record of 1-12. Four of the Mustangs' losses this year were decided by only one set, including Saturday's defeat to Oregon.
With no seniors on the 2015 roster, the Mustangs return a wealth of talent and sand experience heading into the program's third season next spring.
Oregon 3, Cal Poly 2
1) Raeann Greisen/Taylor Nelson (CP) def. Chelsey Keoho/Kacey Nady(ORE), 21-17, 21-10
2) Shellsy Ashen/Liz Brenner (ORE) def. Nicole Kessler/Caihla Petiprin (CP), 21-16, 21-12
3) Anna Gorman/Taylor Gruenewald (CP) def. Taylor Agost/Maggie Scott (ORE), 21-9, 21-8
4) Natalie Bookout Gonzalez/Frankie Shebby (ORE) def. Katie Conroy/Hannah Schleis (CP), 21-17, 21-19
5) Marne Hall-Poirier/Roni LaPierre (ORE) def. Shannon Fouts/Casey Carroll (CP), 21-18, 19-21, 15-12
Stanford 4, Cal Poly 1
1) Raeann Greisen/Taylor Nelson (CP) def. Lauren Birks/Brittany Howard (STAN), 19-21, 21-18, 15-10
2) Madi Bugg/Ivana Vanjak (STAN) def. Nicole Kessler/Caihla Petiprin (CP), 21-19, 10-21, 15-9
3) Jordan Burgess/Merete Lutz (STAN) def. Anna Gorman/Taylor Gruenewald (CP), 21-17, 21-13
4) Kelsey Humphreys/Catherine Raquel (STAN) def. Katie Conroy/Hannah Schleis (CP), 13-21, 21-15, 15-9
5) Inky Ajanaku/Grace Kennedy (STAN) def. Casey Carroll/Shannon Fouts (CP), 21-10, 21-14
Exh. Dana Ritchie/Karina Robinson (STAN) def. Savannah Niemen/Bailey Roach (CP), 14-21, 21-13, 15-12
