Thursday, October 7
Riverside, CA
5 P.M.
at
UC Riverside
Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics
Mustangs Set for Pair of Big West Road Matches This Week
10/5/2021 3:16:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — After splitting a pair of conference matches at home last week, the Cal Poly volleyball team will hit the road this week for two Big West matches against UC Riverside and UC Davis.
The Mustangs (5-10, 3-1 BWC), who are tied for third place in the Big West standings through the first two weeks of conference play, will face the Highlanders (4-10, 0-4 BWC) on Thursday at 5 p.m. from the SRC Arena. They will then travel up the state to take on the Aggies on Saturday at 3 p.m. from University Credit Union Center.
Live video streaming and live stats are available for both matches. For Saturday's match against UC Davis, Cal Poly volleyball play-by-play announcer Daniel Gillman and Maia Dvoracek will be doing a remote audio stream broadcast for fans to listen to. Links for all these can be found on the volleyball schedule page.
Last week at home, Cal Poly fell to UCSB 3-0 in front of a sellout crowd at Mott Athletics Center before bouncing back on Saturday with a 3-0 sweep of CSUN. The Gauchos hit .347 on Friday, the highest hitting percentage by an opponent against the Mustangs this season. Cal Poly responded on Saturday by holding CSUN to a .103 hitting percentage.
Through the first four matches of conference play, Cal Poly ranks second in the Big West in opponent hitting percentage at .146 behind UCSB. The Mustangs also are second in the Big West during conference play in blocks at 2.71 per set and third in digs with 18.14 per set.
Individually, redshirt senior outside hitter Jamie Stivers continues to lead the way offensively. She is tops on the team in kills with 177, good for 3.28 per set which ranks tied for fifth most in the Big West. Against the Matadors on Saturday, Stivers recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 10 kills and 16 digs. She also enters this week's matches having recorded double digit kills in nine consecutive matches.
Junior setter Avalon DeNecochea, who earlier this season moved into seventh place on the all-time career assists list at Cal Poly, ranks third in the Big West in assists at 9.78 per set. She is also averaging 1.72 digs per set and has racked up 36 kills, 34 blocks and 10 service aces.
Defensively, junior middle blocker Meredith Phillips has led the way for the Mustangs at the net with 61 blocks, including 10 solo for the season. In the back row, freshman libero Peyton Dueck, who has started all 15 matches, leads the team with 4.20 digs per set which ranks fourth in the Big West.
UC Riverside is coming off a pair of 3-1 losses last week to UC San Diego and UC Irvine. The Highlanders have had a balanced approach offensively so far this season as seven players are averaging 1.22 kills per set or better. Cal Poly has owned the all-time season series 30-8. The last time UC Riverside beat the Mustangs was in 2013.
UC Davis is also coming off a pair of 3-1 losses to UC Irvine and UC San Diego last week. Four Aggies are averaging more than 2.00 kills per set so far this season with freshman outside hitter Amara Aimufua leading the way at 3.05 kills per set. As a team, they rank third in the Big West in hitting percentage (.225) and service aces per set (1.29). Cal Poly leads the all-time season series 19-12 and have won the last eight 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. 13Louisville, 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 2,648. 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 47-5 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 3-1 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.
The Mustangs (5-10, 3-1 BWC), who are tied for third place in the Big West standings through the first two weeks of conference play, will face the Highlanders (4-10, 0-4 BWC) on Thursday at 5 p.m. from the SRC Arena. They will then travel up the state to take on the Aggies on Saturday at 3 p.m. from University Credit Union Center.
Live video streaming and live stats are available for both matches. For Saturday's match against UC Davis, Cal Poly volleyball play-by-play announcer Daniel Gillman and Maia Dvoracek will be doing a remote audio stream broadcast for fans to listen to. Links for all these can be found on the volleyball schedule page.
Last week at home, Cal Poly fell to UCSB 3-0 in front of a sellout crowd at Mott Athletics Center before bouncing back on Saturday with a 3-0 sweep of CSUN. The Gauchos hit .347 on Friday, the highest hitting percentage by an opponent against the Mustangs this season. Cal Poly responded on Saturday by holding CSUN to a .103 hitting percentage.
Through the first four matches of conference play, Cal Poly ranks second in the Big West in opponent hitting percentage at .146 behind UCSB. The Mustangs also are second in the Big West during conference play in blocks at 2.71 per set and third in digs with 18.14 per set.
Individually, redshirt senior outside hitter Jamie Stivers continues to lead the way offensively. She is tops on the team in kills with 177, good for 3.28 per set which ranks tied for fifth most in the Big West. Against the Matadors on Saturday, Stivers recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 10 kills and 16 digs. She also enters this week's matches having recorded double digit kills in nine consecutive matches.
Junior setter Avalon DeNecochea, who earlier this season moved into seventh place on the all-time career assists list at Cal Poly, ranks third in the Big West in assists at 9.78 per set. She is also averaging 1.72 digs per set and has racked up 36 kills, 34 blocks and 10 service aces.
Defensively, junior middle blocker Meredith Phillips has led the way for the Mustangs at the net with 61 blocks, including 10 solo for the season. In the back row, freshman libero Peyton Dueck, who has started all 15 matches, leads the team with 4.20 digs per set which ranks fourth in the Big West.
UC Riverside is coming off a pair of 3-1 losses last week to UC San Diego and UC Irvine. The Highlanders have had a balanced approach offensively so far this season as seven players are averaging 1.22 kills per set or better. Cal Poly has owned the all-time season series 30-8. The last time UC Riverside beat the Mustangs was in 2013.
UC Davis is also coming off a pair of 3-1 losses to UC Irvine and UC San Diego last week. Four Aggies are averaging more than 2.00 kills per set so far this season with freshman outside hitter Amara Aimufua leading the way at 3.05 kills per set. As a team, they rank third in the Big West in hitting percentage (.225) and service aces per set (1.29). Cal Poly leads the all-time season series 19-12 and have won the last eight 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. 13Louisville, 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 2,648. 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 47-5 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 3-1 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
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/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
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