Grand Canyon
Cal Poly Falls to No. 15 Grand Canyon in Season Opener
3/4/2016 12:00:00 AM | Beach Volleyball
TUCSON, Ariz. – The Cal Poly beach volleyball team opened the 2016 season with a 5-0 defeat to No. 15 Grand Canyon on Thursday afternoon in front of over 1,400 fans at the GCU beach volleyball courts. The Lopes failed to lose a single set to the Mustangs on Thursday.
Thursday marked the first match as head coach for Cal Poly beach volleyball's Todd Rogers.
Cal Poly's No. 1 pair of sophomores Taylor Nelson and Raeann Greisen nearly pulled a win in the first set against GCU's Mackenzie Phelps and Shannon Dugan, but ultimately fell in two, 23-21 and 21-15.
Cal Poly sophomore Savannah Niemen and freshman Katherine Brouker – paired together for the first time in beach volleyball – also pushed the GCU pair of Emily Erichsen and Brooke Razo to a near second-set defeat at No. 3 before falling 21-12 and 21-19.
True freshman and walk-on Jacqui Martin and junior Anna Gorman were competitive in their matchup from the No. 4 spot against GCU's Kami Dickerson and Jordyn Sanchez, but fell in two sets, 21-15 and 21-14.
Cal Poly freshman Adlee Van Winden got her first taste of collegiate beach volleyball this afternoon, paired alongside freshman and walk-on Dora Beilin, but lost to GCU's Molly Turner and Aleksandra Wachowicz, 21-10 and 21-5 from the third pair position.
The sophomore pairing of Bailey Roach and Casey Carroll were unable to solve GCU's Chloe Jenkins and Becca Conrad at No. 5, falling in straight sets, 21-13 and 21-7.
Cal Poly (0-1) continues its season-opening road trip when battling both TCU at 10 a.m. and No. 14 Loyola Marymount at 4 p.m. Friday in Tucson.
