No. 11 Mustangs Split Pair of Matches Saturday Against Ranked Opponents

Saturday, March 5

Los Angeles, CA

10 A.M.

Stanford

No. 11 Mustangs Split Pair of Matches Saturday Against Ranked Opponents

3/5/2022 6:13:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

LOS ANGELES — Cal Poly split its two matches against a pair of ranked opponents Saturday to kick off its weekend in Los Angeles. The No. 11 Mustangs fell to No. 8 Stanford, 3-2, before bouncing back to defeat No. 14 Long Beach State, 3-2. In the morning match, the No. 11 Mustangs faced off against the No. 8 Cardinal (3-2) at Merle Norman Stadium on the campus of USC for the first time since Cal Poly beat Stanford at last year's NCAA Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala. At the No. 2 spot, the Cardinal pair of Charlie Ekstrom and Kate Reilly started off the match by beating Cal Poly's duo of freshman Piper Ferch and redshirt junior Jayelin Lombard 21-8, 21-15. Stanford then picked up another point via the No. 4 spot after Emma Morris and Taylor Wilson took down redshirt juniors Eleonore Johansen and Delaney Peranich 23-21, 21-18. The Cardinal win was clinched after Maya Harvey and Emma Sharp were victorious at the No. 3 spot over graduate transfer Addison Hermstad and redshirt sophomore Josie Ulrich 21-7, 21-11. Cal Poly did pick up a pair of points in the dual from the No. 5 and No. 1 spots in the lineup. At the No. 5 spot, freshman Peyton Dueck and redshirt junior Vanessa Roscoe teaming up for the first time this season to get a 21-19, 19-21, 18-16 win over Maddie Dailey and Camdyn Doucet. At the No. 1 spot, redshirt senior Tia Miric and freshman Ella Connor beating Xolani Hodel and Maddie Kriz 22-20, 17-21, 15-11. -------------- A few hours later, the Mustangs made the trip over to Mapes Beach on the campus of UCLA to take on Big West foe Long Beach State. It was a tight battle against the No. 14 Beach with Cal Poly's No. 2 pair of Ferch and Lombard collecting the first point of the dual after they beat Nicci Reinking and Katie Kennedy 21-15, 21-17. After LBSU picked up a point at the No. 4 spot, the Mustangs' No. 1 duo of Miric and Connor gave Cal Poly a 2-0 lead after a 21-18, 22-20 win over Skyler Germann and Alice and Pratesi. Long Beach State then evened up the score after a getting a win at the No. 3 spot to force it all to come down to the No. 5 pairs. At the No. 5 spot, Roscoe and Dueck came back after dropping the first set to win the next two to take it 17-21, 23-21, 15-13 and clinch the match for the Mustangs. Cal Poly will play two more ranked teams Sunday in Los Angeles. The Mustangs will take on No. 7 Grand Canyon at 12 p.m. followed by No. 2 UCLA at 2 p.m.