Tuesday, October 12
San Luis Obispo, Calif.
5 P.M.
vs
CSU Bakersfield
Cal Poly Hosts CSU Bakersfield Tuesday, Travels to Hawai’i Friday
10/11/2021 2:48:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Coming off a pair of sweeps last week to push its win streak to three matches, the third-place Cal Poly volleyball team has a big week coming up this week. The Mustangs (7-10, 5-1 BWC) will host CSU Bakersfield at Mott Athletics Center Tuesday before traveling to Honolulu on Friday to face first-place Hawai'i.
Cal Poly will host the Roadrunners (10-4, 3-3 BWC) at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The first 200 fans to arrive at Mott Athletics Center will receive a free popsocket. Attendees are required by the California Department of Public Health to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken up to 72 hours prior to an event. Proof of vaccinations include the actual card, a photo of your card or a QR code verifying that you have been vaccinated. Proof of a negative test must include documentation from the testing agency. Facial coverings are required for all volleyball fans at all times, unless actively eating or drinking. No negative test is required for attendees 12 and under.
Then on Friday, the Mustangs will face the Rainbow Wahine (9-5, 6-0 BWC) at 10 p.m. PT. Hawai'i is currently unbeaten in conference play and sits atop the Big West standings.
For fans not able to attend Tuesday's home match in person, live video streaming, audio streaming and live stat links are available via the volleyball schedule page. Daniel Gillman and Maia Dvoracek will provide play-by-play for both the audio and video streams.
For Saturday's match against Hawai'i, live video streaming will be available through ESPN+ for those who have a subscription and live stats are also available. Daniel Gillman and Maia Dvoracek will also be doing a remote audio stream for fans to listen to during the match. Links for all these can also be found on the volleyball schedule page.
Cal Poly heads into the week riding a three-match winning streak after sweeping both UC Riverside and UC Davis on the road last week. Against the Highlanders, the Mustangs set a season-high for hitting percentage, attacking at a .413 clip while committing just seven attack errors and held the Highlanders to a .137 hitting percentage. Redshirt senior outside hitter Jamie Stivers led the way offensively with 15 kills, hitting .433 while also adding eight digs and a career-high four service aces. Redshirt freshman outside hitter Tommi Stockham added 12 kills while hitting .417. Junior setter Avalon DeNecochea dished out 41 assists while directing the team to the season-high hitting percentage. Defensively, freshman libero Peyton Dueck the play in the back row with a team-leading 16 digs while junior defensive specialist Lea Ungar added 13 digs. At the net, redshirt freshman outside hitter Amy Hiatt had a team-high six blocks while fellow redshirt freshman Kate Slack added five blocks.
On Saturday against the Aggies, Cal Poly once again had a strong defensive effort also holding them to a .137 hitting percentage. The Mustangs had a sideout percentage of 73, including 88 percent in the first set. Stivers once again led the way offensively by tallying her 11th consecutive match with double-digit with 15. Junior middle blocker Meredith Phillips led the defense at the net with a team-high six blocks while in the back row Dueck had a team-high 14 digs.
Following averaging 5.00 digs per set last week, Dueck was named Big West Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. She is now averaging 4.28 digs per set this season which ranks third amongst Big West players and has had double-digit digs in 15 of the Mustangs' 17 matches this season. She also leads the team in service aces with 19 and ranks sixth in the Big West at .32 per set
Offensively, Stivers continues to lead the way for the Mustangs. She is averaging 3.45 kills per set which ranks fifth in the Big West. Meanwhile, DeNecochea leads the Big West in assists per set at 10.00 which also ranks 63rd in the country and has directed the Cal Poly offense to a .222 hitting percentage which ranks fourth amongst all Big West teams. Phillips leads the Mustangs in blocks per set at 1.17 which ranks fifth in the conference.
Scouting The Opponents: In its first year as a member of the Big West, CSU Bakersfield comes into Tuesday's match with a 10-4 overall record and 3-3 conference record. They are coming off wins last week over UC Davis and UC Riverside. The Roadrunners lead the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.177) and are led by outside hitter Hayley McCluskey who is eighth in the Big West in kills per set at 3.00. Cal Poly sports a 6-1 all-time record against the Roadrunners with the last matchup happening back in 2014.
Hawai'i comes into Friday's match 9-5 overall and a perfect 6-0 conference record to sit tied for first place with UCSB. They are coming off wins last weekend over UC Irvine and UC San Diego. As a team, the Rainbow Wahine rank first in the conference in blocks per set (2.46) and second in assists per set (12.80), kills per set (13.63), and digs per set (16.24). They have been led this season by senior outside hitter Brooke Van Sickle, who ranks second in the Big West in kills at 4.02 per set and sophomore middle blocker Amber Igiede who is third in the Big West in blocks at 1.24 per set while also averaging 2.45 kills per set. Hawai'i leads the all-time series 41-8. However, the Mustangs have won four of the last six matchups.
Tough Non-Conference Schedule: Cal Poly put itself to the test in its non-conference schedule. The Mustangs played 11 non-conference matches with five of those against teams ranked in the AVCA Preseason Top 25.
Those teams were No. 13 Louisville, No. 19 Utah, No. 22 San Diego, No. 9 Washington, and No. 22 Pepperdine.
Setting Up Her Teammates: Junior setter Avalon DeNecochea currently ranks seventh in program history for career assists with 2,720. She moved into seventh earlier this season on Sept. 25 in a match against Cal State Fullerton.
Her single match career high for assists is 62 which came in that Sept. 25 match against the Titans.
Strong In Conference: Since 2017, the Mustangs are 49-5 in Big West matches. That includes a perfect 16-0 record in 2017, a 15-1 record in 2018, a 13-3 record in 2019, and a 5-1 record so far this season.
Cal Poly won the Big West Conference in 2017 and 2018 and has won the conference title a total of five times.
Cal Poly will host the Roadrunners (10-4, 3-3 BWC) at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The first 200 fans to arrive at Mott Athletics Center will receive a free popsocket. Attendees are required by the California Department of Public Health to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken up to 72 hours prior to an event. Proof of vaccinations include the actual card, a photo of your card or a QR code verifying that you have been vaccinated. Proof of a negative test must include documentation from the testing agency. Facial coverings are required for all volleyball fans at all times, unless actively eating or drinking. No negative test is required for attendees 12 and under.
Then on Friday, the Mustangs will face the Rainbow Wahine (9-5, 6-0 BWC) at 10 p.m. PT. Hawai'i is currently unbeaten in conference play and sits atop the Big West standings.
For fans not able to attend Tuesday's home match in person, live video streaming, audio streaming and live stat links are available via the volleyball schedule page. Daniel Gillman and Maia Dvoracek will provide play-by-play for both the audio and video streams.
For Saturday's match against Hawai'i, live video streaming will be available through ESPN+ for those who have a subscription and live stats are also available. Daniel Gillman and Maia Dvoracek will also be doing a remote audio stream for fans to listen to during the match. Links for all these can also be found on the volleyball schedule page.
Cal Poly heads into the week riding a three-match winning streak after sweeping both UC Riverside and UC Davis on the road last week. Against the Highlanders, the Mustangs set a season-high for hitting percentage, attacking at a .413 clip while committing just seven attack errors and held the Highlanders to a .137 hitting percentage. Redshirt senior outside hitter Jamie Stivers led the way offensively with 15 kills, hitting .433 while also adding eight digs and a career-high four service aces. Redshirt freshman outside hitter Tommi Stockham added 12 kills while hitting .417. Junior setter Avalon DeNecochea dished out 41 assists while directing the team to the season-high hitting percentage. Defensively, freshman libero Peyton Dueck the play in the back row with a team-leading 16 digs while junior defensive specialist Lea Ungar added 13 digs. At the net, redshirt freshman outside hitter Amy Hiatt had a team-high six blocks while fellow redshirt freshman Kate Slack added five blocks.
On Saturday against the Aggies, Cal Poly once again had a strong defensive effort also holding them to a .137 hitting percentage. The Mustangs had a sideout percentage of 73, including 88 percent in the first set. Stivers once again led the way offensively by tallying her 11th consecutive match with double-digit with 15. Junior middle blocker Meredith Phillips led the defense at the net with a team-high six blocks while in the back row Dueck had a team-high 14 digs.
Following averaging 5.00 digs per set last week, Dueck was named Big West Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. She is now averaging 4.28 digs per set this season which ranks third amongst Big West players and has had double-digit digs in 15 of the Mustangs' 17 matches this season. She also leads the team in service aces with 19 and ranks sixth in the Big West at .32 per set
Offensively, Stivers continues to lead the way for the Mustangs. She is averaging 3.45 kills per set which ranks fifth in the Big West. Meanwhile, DeNecochea leads the Big West in assists per set at 10.00 which also ranks 63rd in the country and has directed the Cal Poly offense to a .222 hitting percentage which ranks fourth amongst all Big West teams. Phillips leads the Mustangs in blocks per set at 1.17 which ranks fifth in the conference.
Scouting The Opponents: In its first year as a member of the Big West, CSU Bakersfield comes into Tuesday's match with a 10-4 overall record and 3-3 conference record. They are coming off wins last week over UC Davis and UC Riverside. The Roadrunners lead the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.177) and are led by outside hitter Hayley McCluskey who is eighth in the Big West in kills per set at 3.00. Cal Poly sports a 6-1 all-time record against the Roadrunners with the last matchup happening back in 2014.
Hawai'i comes into Friday's match 9-5 overall and a perfect 6-0 conference record to sit tied for first place with UCSB. They are coming off wins last weekend over UC Irvine and UC San Diego. As a team, the Rainbow Wahine rank first in the conference in blocks per set (2.46) and second in assists per set (12.80), kills per set (13.63), and digs per set (16.24). They have been led this season by senior outside hitter Brooke Van Sickle, who ranks second in the Big West in kills at 4.02 per set and sophomore middle blocker Amber Igiede who is third in the Big West in blocks at 1.24 per set while also averaging 2.45 kills per set. Hawai'i leads the all-time series 41-8. However, the Mustangs have won four of the last six matchups.
Tough Non-Conference Schedule: Cal Poly put itself to the test in its non-conference schedule. The Mustangs played 11 non-conference matches with five of those against teams ranked in the AVCA Preseason Top 25.
Those teams were No. 13 Louisville, No. 19 Utah, No. 22 San Diego, No. 9 Washington, and No. 22 Pepperdine.
Setting Up Her Teammates: Junior setter Avalon DeNecochea currently ranks seventh in program history for career assists with 2,720. She moved into seventh earlier this season on Sept. 25 in a match against Cal State Fullerton.
Her single match career high for assists is 62 which came in that Sept. 25 match against the Titans.
Strong In Conference: Since 2017, the Mustangs are 49-5 in Big West matches. That includes a perfect 16-0 record in 2017, a 15-1 record in 2018, a 13-3 record in 2019, and a 5-1 record so far this season.
Cal Poly won the Big West Conference in 2017 and 2018 and has won the conference title a total of five times.
Players Mentioned
S
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
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