No. 6 Mustangs Come From Behind to Defeat No. 8 Pepperdine 3-2 Sunday

Sunday, March 14

Malibu, CA

12 P.M.

Pepperdine

No. 6 Mustangs Come From Behind to Defeat No. 8 Pepperdine 3-2 Sunday

3/14/2021 4:27:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

MALIBU, Calif. — The Cal Poly beach volleyball team rallied from down 1-2 to come back and beat No. 8 Pepperdine 3-2 on the road Sunday to win its third straight match and earn its first win over a fellow top-10 team this season.

The No. 6 Mustangs (6-3) took a 1-0 lead over the No. 8 Waves (1-6) after the No. 4 pairing of freshman Sam Strah and redshirt sophomore Eleonore Johansen beat Pepperdine's Calista Wright and Mary Sinclair 21-19, 22-20. They are now a perfect 3-0 together so far this season.

The Waves then took a 2-1 advantage after wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots. Needing to win the remaining two matches, Cal Poly's No. 5 pair of redshirt freshman Josie Ulrich and redshirt sophomore Vanessa Roscoe tied the match after a 21-17, 21-18 victory over Jordan Benoit and Kristine Briede.

Coming down to the deciding match at the No. 1 spot, Cal Poly's top pair of redshirt senior Emily Sonny and redshirt junior Macy Gordon (pictured) battled to win their first set 23-21 before going on to win the second set 21-10 and clinch the 3-2 victory for the Mustangs. Gordon and Sonny are now a team-best 5-3 together this season.

Cal Poly will now prepare to play its first home matches of the 2021 season when hosting both No. 15 Arizona and Boise State Sunday, March 21 at Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex.

Photo courtesy of Pepperdine Athletics