Sacramento State
Cal Poly Continues Its Winning Ways With 3-1 Win over Sacramento State
8/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Cal Poly volleyball remained unbeaten this season with a four-set victory over Sacramento State behind the strength of 14 kills apiece from senior middle blocker Taylor Gruenewald and freshman outside hitter Adlee Van Winden during the final day of the San Jose State Invitational on Saturday afternoon at Spartan Gym.
It was the second day in a row that Van Winden collected 14 kills, while the Mustangs (2-0) handed the Hornets their first loss of the season. Cal Poly last opened up a season with two consecutive wins in 2010, when the Mustangs finished 22-7 overall.
For the second consecutive day, Cal Poly found themselves tied at one set apiece heading into the decisive third, only to take control of the match and win the next two for the victory. Van Winden and Gruenewald were two of five players who collected double-digit kill totals on the afternoon for Cal Poly, which also included sophomore outside hitter Raeann Greisen (11 kills), senior outside hitter Hannah Schleis (11) and sophomore middle blocker Savannah Niemen (10). Mustang sophomore setter Taylor Nelson continued her strong start to the season with a match-high 52 assists, while freshman libero Katherine Brouker produced 18 digs and Schleis chipped in with four blocks.
With Sacramento State holding a 5-2 lead in the opening set, consecutive kills by Van Winden and sophomore middle blocker Savannah Niemen trimmed the Mustang deficit to 5-4. After Van Winden and senior outside hitter Hannah Schleis connected on back-to-back kills, Cal Poly drew even at eight. That's when the first set began a see-saw battle that witnessed 12 ties (after 8-8) and six lead changes overall. With the set tied at 21, successive kills from junior middle blocker Taylor Gruenewald and Van Winden provided Cal Poly with a 23-21 advantage. A timeout by Sacramento State did nothing to deter the Mustang momentum, as another kill from Gruenewald gave Cal Poly the first set, 25-23.
During the second set, it was much of the same, as the Mustangs and Hornets battled back-and-forth from the opening serve. With Sacramento State clinging to a 15-14 lead, consecutive kills from Greisen gave Cal Poly a 16-15 advantage. Another kill from Greisen tied the second set at 18, when a service ace from Cal Poly sophomore Bailey Roach gave the Mustangs the lead. After the Hornets battled to take back the lead, a kill by Niemen tied the set again, this time at 20. Gruenewald sent home two straight kills for the Mustangs to tie the set at 23, and after Sacramento State took a 25-24 lead, a kill by Greisen tied things up at 25. A service error and an attack error by the Mustangs allowed the Hornets to grab the second set, 28-26.
With the match tied at one apiece, Cal Poly opened up the third set with leads of 6-1 and 12-6, and after a kill by Niemen, took a 13-8 advantage. Gruenewald gave the Mustangs a 16-11 lead with another kill, and after Van Winden's 12th kill of the match, Cal Poly held a 17-13 advantage. Sacramento would get as close as 22-19, but the Mustangs pulled away and won the third set, 25-20, after a service ace from Niemen.
Cal Poly led the fourth set, 8-6 after a kill by Schleis and after the Hornets battled back to tie the set at ten apiece, Niemen slammed home a kill and provided the Mustangs with a lead that they would not relinquish the rest of the way. A kill from Gruenewald and a service ace from Brouker provided the Mustangs with a 19-14 advantage, and consecutive kills from Greisen and Schleis gave Cal Poly a 21-15 lead. Schleis sent home two more kills and another service ace by Niemen gave the Mustangs the 25-17 fourth-set victory and the match win.
Cal Poly did not have a set in which they had an attack percentage of less than .214, and overall hit .273 on the afternoon.
Schleis (22 kills, five blocks through two matches), Gruenewald (23 kills, nine blocks), and Niemen (20 kills) were selected to the 12-player San Jose State Invitational All-Tournament Team.
Cal Poly continues its season-opening nine-match road trip when traveling to Fresno State to take on the Bulldogs at 7 p.m. Tuesday inside the Save Mart Center.
