It was match point and tensions were high as junior outside hitter Emma Fredrick stood behind the endline and served a bullet over the net in the final set.
UC Santa Barbara went for a classic pass, set, hit but was met with the big blocks of sophomore outside hitter Kendall Beshear and freshman middle blocker Charlotte Kelly as they shut down the ball and secured part one of the Blue-Green rivalry by a final score of 3-2.
On Tuesday, Cal Poly defeated UC Santa Barbara in a tight five match set in Mott Athletics Center to kick off the Blue-Green rivalry this season.
The Mustangs (12-5, 3-2 Big West) sustained two hard losses the weekend before, so the win was pivotal to regaining their footing among Big West opponents. It also pushed their home winning streak to nine straight games this season.
“The Mott magic is a thing,” head coach Caroline Walters said. “Being at home is comfortable for us but we have to find that same comfortability on the road.”
Competitive Five-Set Play
Cal Poly started off the match slow, suffering a hard loss of 25-16 in the first set. UCSB was dominant on offense, going on five 3-0 runs to clinch the set.
The Mustangs also had their lowest hitting percentage of the night with 0.154 allowing the Gauchos to capitalize on early mistakes.
“We know it’s volleyball and it’s never over until you win the three sets,” sophomore libero Elif Hurriyet said.
Despite seven ties throughout the second set, the team rallied behind Hurriyet and others to claim a 25-18 victory. The Gauchos took a small 8-5 lead early in the set with a 3-0 run, but it was not enough to prevent the Mustangs from changing the narrative of the match.
They shined on defense, making three blocks which accounted for a fourth of their 12 for the match. Kelly had a standout defensive performance at the net as she earned a new season-high six blocks.
Cal Poly carried their winning momentum into set three with a contested 25-22 win.
The Mustangs had to play a long game of catch up including five instances of being behind by one point before they could steal the lead away from the Gauchos. The teams went through seven ties until Cal Poly came out victorious.
“What helps the most is the energy,” Beshear said. “Our reaction to the plays, the way we energize ourselves and communicate through energy and celebration is the way we push through those sets.”
Despite having their best offensive performance of the night with a .500 hitting percentage, the Mustangs came short in set four.
Cal Poly gave up five free points due to service errors which could have made up for the 25-20 loss.
The final frame took a turn once Cal Poly earned a 9-7 lead, forcing UCSB to take a timeout. The timeout did not work in their favor as sophomore middle blocker Chloe Leluge and redshirt senior setter Emme Bullis blocked a Gaucho hit causing UCSB to take another timeout just one point later.
“I’m proud of our group,” Walters said. “Being up 2-1, losing that fourth set and finding some real guts in set five to come back.”
A pivotal part of Cal Poly’s victory was their defensive performance, racking up 12 blocks and 62 digs. Hurriyet honed in on her defensive skills earning a season high 18 digs followed by Beshear who earned 11.
“Thats our job, man,” Hurriyet said. “That’s what we do.”
Second rivalry match of the week
Cal Poly will face fellow rival University of Hawaii on Friday at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu at 10 p.m.
The last time the Mustangs faced the Rainbow Wahine was a loss in the Big West Championship final last season.
The team hopes their Blue-Green rivalry momentum will transfer into the Rainbow State.
“We were so fired up,” Beshear said. “I want to keep this energy for the Hawaii game because I know the atmosphere is going to be crazy up there.”