Flashback Friday: Mustangs Pull Off Reverse Sweep At Hawai’i
10/9/2020 9:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Editor's Note: Each Friday from September through mid-December, Cal Poly Athletics will revisit a notable game from the department's history in the Flashback Friday series presented by Pacific Eye.
Almost exactly three years ago, on Oct. 7, 2017, the Cal Poly volleyball team pulled off one of its biggest and most improbable wins in the last decade when it came back from down 0-2 on the road against the University of Hawai'i and beat the Rainbow Wahine in five sets.
It was the Mustangs' first win over Hawai'i since 2006 and at the time was the fifth win over the Rainbow Wahine in program history.
Heading into that match, Cal Poly was rolling to begin that season and was off to a 15-2 start and was 5-0 in conference matches. The same could also be said for Hawai'i, who was 11-5 and also 5-0 in conference matches. The Rainbow Wahine were also the two-time defending Big West champions and the Mustangs would have to go through them if they wanted to change that.
In front of a crowd of nearly 10,000, Hawai'i got off to a hot start in the first set. Hitting .351 and committing just two attack errors, they were able to take the first set 25-16.
Things settled down in the second set for Cal Poly. However, with the Rainbow Wahine leading 21-20, they scored four of the final six points to win the set 25-22 and take a commanding two sets to none lead.
Put in a position in which they needed to win the next three sets, the Mustangs came out strong to begin the third set. They got out to a 9-1 lead before Hawai'i was able to get it back within five points. The Mustangs extended the lead to 22-13 before going on to win it 25-15. The adjustments that Cal Poly made between the second and third sets worked almost to perfection as the Mustangs hit .385 and made just two attack errors.
"The girls hashed out what they needed and came out in the third set as an entirely different team," then Mustang head coach Sam Crosson said after the match.
Cal Poly stayed hot to begin the fourth set and started by taking a 12-5 lead. The Rainbow Wahine countered with a run of their own to get the Mustang lead down to 13-11. Another run by Cal Poly stretched the lead to 22-16 before Hawai'i got it back to as close as 22-21. Up 24-22, Adlee Van Winden sealed the set win for the Mustangs and force a deciding fifth.
It was close to begin the fifth set, with Cal Poly leading 8-5 as the two teams switched sides. From there, a 5-2 run extended the lead to 13-7. Up 14-9, a Torrey Van Winden kill sealed the reverse sweep comeback win for the Mustangs and the first win over Hawai'i since 2006.
"The overall ability of this group to come together when facing adversity is a very positive characteristic they have developed," Crosson said at the time. "We were at the lowest of lows and the highest of highs in this match."
For the Mustangs, Torrey Van Winden led the way with 25 kills, 18 of which came in the final three sets, and 13 digs. Adlee Van Winden also had a double-double with 14 kills and 17 digs. Senior setter Taylor Nelson, who would be named Big West Player of the Year that season, had 50 assists. Senior Raeann Greisen added 12 kills and junior libero Katherine Brouker finished with 26 digs..
That win helped propel the Mustangs the rest of the season as they would go on to also beat the Rainbow Wahine at home later that month and finish 16-0 in conference for the first time in program history. That season, Cal Poly won its first Big West Championship since 2007 and won their first round NCAA Tournament match against Denver before falling in the second round. Overall, the 2017 team finished with the best record by winning percentage in program history at 27-3.
