Cal Poly Beach Volleyball Goes 2-0 Friday to Open 2024 Season

Friday, February 23

Lake Charles, LA

9 A.M.

Tarleton State

Cal Poly Beach Volleyball Goes 2-0 Friday to Open 2024 Season

2/23/2024 6:39:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

LAKE CHARLES, La. —It was a picture-perfect start to the 2024 season for the Cal Poly beach volleyball team as the Mustangs won both of their first two matches of the season Friday by scores of 5-0. Cal Poly first took down Tarleton State before later beating Nicholls State. The Mustangs won all 10 individual matches in two sets. Of the 20 sets that were played, Cal Poly pairings held their opponents to single digits in nine of them. Tarleton State recap: At the No. 1 spot, Cal Poly saw the return of redshirt sophomore Ella Connor, who missed all last season after a freshman season two years ago in which she was an AVCA All-American. She paired with sophomore Izzy Martinez who combined to beat Tarleton State's No. 1 pairing in dominant fashion 21-9, 21-12. At the No. 2 spot, it was junior Piper Ferch who was paired with freshman Erin Inskeep. Together, they won their match 21-14, 21-11. At the No. 3 spot, senior Piper Naess who also partnered with a freshman in Quinn Perry. They had immediate chemistry, dominating their way to a 21-5, 21-6 victory. Naess had five aces in the match. At the No. 4 spot, sophomore Emma Zuffelato and freshman Sydney Terrell teamed up to win their match 21-13, 21-13. In the match, Zuffelato had six aces and a block. The 5-0 victory was rounded out at the No. 5 spot by freshman Katie Clevenger and senior Julia Soeller after they won 21-12, 21-12. Nicholls State recap: Against Nicholls State, Cal Poly's top three pairs remained the same from the Tarleton State match. Zuffelato and Terrell moved from the No. 4 spot to the No. 5 spot. At the No. 4 spot, it was a pair of transfers in juniors Madison Nichols and Abbey Reinard. Connor and Martinez won their match at the No. 1 spot 21-8, 21-4. Connor had six aces and three blocks while Martinez had three aces. At the No. 2 spot, Ferch and Inskeep were just as dominant, winning 21-6, 21-4. Inskeep had six aces while Ferch added two. Naess and Perry won at the 3's 21-7, 21-18. Reinard and Nichols took their match 21-11, 21-17 at the No. 4 spot. Zuffelato and Terrell rounded it out with a 21-13, 21-6 win at the No. 5 spot. "Overall I was happy with the way the team performed in both duels," ninth year head coach Todd Rogers said. "There was certainly some jitters and nerves especially for some of the freshmen playing their first official matches but once they settled in they played great." Cal Poly remains in Louisiana Saturday for two more matches. They will face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 7 a.m. PT followed by host school McNeese State at 9 a.m. PT.