Friday, October 1
San Luis Obispo, Calif.
7 P.M.
vs
UCSB
Photo by: Owen Main
Cal Poly Welcomes UCSB, CSUN to Mott Athletics Center This Week
9/28/2021 10:43:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — After winning both of its first two Big West Conference matches on the road, the Cal Poly volleyball team returns home this weekend to host UC Santa Barbara and CSUN on Friday and Saturday at Mott Athletics Center.
The Mustangs (4-9, 2-0 BWC) will host the Gauchos (6-8, 2-0 BWC) on Friday at 7 p.m. The match will be a 'whiteout' and fans are encouraged to wear white. The first 500 students who attend will receive a free 'Buck the Gauchos' shirt.
Saturday, Cal Poly will host the Matadors (1-11, 0-2 BWC) at 2 p.m. It is also the second 'Double-Up Saturday' of the year. Fans who show their ticket to the Cal Poly-Weber State football game slated for 5:30 p.m. Saturday will receive free admission into the match.
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 for events at Mott Athletics Center.
For fans not able to attend, live video and audio streaming as well as live stat links will be available and can be found on the schedule page. Daniel Gillman and Maia Dvoracek will have the play-by-play call for both video and audio.
In its opening matches of Big West play last week, Cal Poly went 2-0. On Friday, they swept Long Beach State 3-0 behind a double-double of 10 kills and 10 digs from redshirt senior outside hitter Jamie Stivers.
The next night against Cal State Fullerton, Cal Poly came back from down 2-1, winning the fourth and fifth sets to beat the Titans 3-2. Eight Mustangs either tied or broke their career-highs in the match. Stivers led the Mustangs with 19 kills and had a career-high 23 digs. She now has five double-doubles on the season. Junior setter Avalon DeNecochea also had a double-double, dishing out a career-high 62 assists to go with 11 digs. Junior middle blocker Meredith Phillips had a career-high 15 kills. Redshirt freshman Amy Hiatt had career-highs of 11 kills and five blocks and fellow redshirt freshman middle blocker Kate Slack tied her career-highs with eight kills and a team-leading six blocks.
In the back row, freshman libero Peyton Dueck led the team in digs with a career-high 28 while junior defensive specialist Lea Ungar had a career-high 23 digs and fellow junior defensive specialist Taylor Rose had a career-high 15 digs.
Following collecting 43 digs in those matches for an average of 5.38 per set, Dueck was named the Big West Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career.
Defense was the key in both of Cal Poly's wins last week. On Friday, the Mustangs held Long Beach State to an .052 hitting percentage and had a season-high 13 blocks. On Saturday, Cal Poly held Cal State Fullerton to a .128 hitting percentage, had 12 blocks, and a season-high 108 digs.
So far this season, Jamie Stivers leads the Mustangs in kills at 3.27 per set and is second in digs with 2.73 per set. Avalon DeNecochea leads the team in assists at 9.88 per set which ranks third in the Big West. Meredith Phillips is third on the team in kills with 2.67 per set and leads in blocks at 1.17 per set which is good for fifth in the Big West. Peyton Dueck paces the Mustangs in digs with 4.40 per set which ranks third in the Big West
Scouting The Opponents: Cal Poly is 34-50 all-time against UCSB but has three out of the last four meetings. In 2019, the Mustangs split the season series against the Gauchos, winning at home and losing on the road. UCSB is 6-8 overall and 2-0 in the Big West this season. They are coming off of wins over UC San Diego and UC Irvine last week.
The Mustangs are 37-25 all-time against CSUN and have won the previous 10 meetings. The Matadors are 1-11 overall and 0-2 in the Big West this season. They are coming off losses last week to UC Irvine and UC San Diego.
Cal Poly In the Polls: In the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll, the Mustangs were picked to finish second in the conference. Cal Poly received a total of 111 points and four of the 11 first place votes. They finished just behind defending conference champion Hawai'i, who received 117 points and the other seven first place votes.
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 2,591. She moved into seventh following last Saturday's match against Cal State Fullerton.
Her single match career high for assists is 62 which came last weekend against Cal State Fullerton.
Strong In Conference: Since 2017, the Mustangs are 46-4 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 2-0 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 (4-9, 2-0 BWC) will host the Gauchos (6-8, 2-0 BWC) on Friday at 7 p.m. The match will be a 'whiteout' and fans are encouraged to wear white. The first 500 students who attend will receive a free 'Buck the Gauchos' shirt.
Saturday, Cal Poly will host the Matadors (1-11, 0-2 BWC) at 2 p.m. It is also the second 'Double-Up Saturday' of the year. Fans who show their ticket to the Cal Poly-Weber State football game slated for 5:30 p.m. Saturday will receive free admission into the match.
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 for events at Mott Athletics Center.
For fans not able to attend, live video and audio streaming as well as live stat links will be available and can be found on the schedule page. Daniel Gillman and Maia Dvoracek will have the play-by-play call for both video and audio.
In its opening matches of Big West play last week, Cal Poly went 2-0. On Friday, they swept Long Beach State 3-0 behind a double-double of 10 kills and 10 digs from redshirt senior outside hitter Jamie Stivers.
The next night against Cal State Fullerton, Cal Poly came back from down 2-1, winning the fourth and fifth sets to beat the Titans 3-2. Eight Mustangs either tied or broke their career-highs in the match. Stivers led the Mustangs with 19 kills and had a career-high 23 digs. She now has five double-doubles on the season. Junior setter Avalon DeNecochea also had a double-double, dishing out a career-high 62 assists to go with 11 digs. Junior middle blocker Meredith Phillips had a career-high 15 kills. Redshirt freshman Amy Hiatt had career-highs of 11 kills and five blocks and fellow redshirt freshman middle blocker Kate Slack tied her career-highs with eight kills and a team-leading six blocks.
In the back row, freshman libero Peyton Dueck led the team in digs with a career-high 28 while junior defensive specialist Lea Ungar had a career-high 23 digs and fellow junior defensive specialist Taylor Rose had a career-high 15 digs.
Following collecting 43 digs in those matches for an average of 5.38 per set, Dueck was named the Big West Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career.
Defense was the key in both of Cal Poly's wins last week. On Friday, the Mustangs held Long Beach State to an .052 hitting percentage and had a season-high 13 blocks. On Saturday, Cal Poly held Cal State Fullerton to a .128 hitting percentage, had 12 blocks, and a season-high 108 digs.
So far this season, Jamie Stivers leads the Mustangs in kills at 3.27 per set and is second in digs with 2.73 per set. Avalon DeNecochea leads the team in assists at 9.88 per set which ranks third in the Big West. Meredith Phillips is third on the team in kills with 2.67 per set and leads in blocks at 1.17 per set which is good for fifth in the Big West. Peyton Dueck paces the Mustangs in digs with 4.40 per set which ranks third in the Big West
Scouting The Opponents: Cal Poly is 34-50 all-time against UCSB but has three out of the last four meetings. In 2019, the Mustangs split the season series against the Gauchos, winning at home and losing on the road. UCSB is 6-8 overall and 2-0 in the Big West this season. They are coming off of wins over UC San Diego and UC Irvine last week.
The Mustangs are 37-25 all-time against CSUN and have won the previous 10 meetings. The Matadors are 1-11 overall and 0-2 in the Big West this season. They are coming off losses last week to UC Irvine and UC San Diego.
Cal Poly In the Polls: In the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll, the Mustangs were picked to finish second in the conference. Cal Poly received a total of 111 points and four of the 11 first place votes. They finished just behind defending conference champion Hawai'i, who received 117 points and the other seven first place votes.
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 2,591. She moved into seventh following last Saturday's match against Cal State Fullerton.
Her single match career high for assists is 62 which came last weekend against Cal State Fullerton.
Strong In Conference: Since 2017, the Mustangs are 46-4 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 2-0 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
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
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