Cal Poly Beach Volleyball tallied two wins in Bakersfield on Saturday, April 8 at the Barnes Beach Volleyball Complex.
The Mustangs (11-19) had a near-perfect weekend with a 5-0 sweep of the University of Pacific (0-16) and a 4-1 win versus CSU Bakersfield (14-7).
Saturday vs. Pacific
Short on players, Pacific had to forfeit on court five, leaving just four courts in play.
Top to bottom, Cal Poly dominated the winless Tigers. The young No. 1 duo of sophomore Piper Ferch and freshman Izzy Martinez won 21-14, 21-11. They are 7-3 in their last ten matchups.
At No. 2, senior Jayelin Lombard and junior Piper Naess earned a two-set victory 21-10, 21-15. They are also 7-3 in their last 10.
No. 3 senior Delaney Peranich and graduate Brooke Golik have the best win percentage out of regular pairings on the team. The duo held its opponents to 12 points and 11 points in a commanding victory.
At court four, head coach Todd Rogers tested out a new pair of freshmen Margo Smith and Marina Warren. The pairing had the largest margin of victory in the matchup with a 21-9 win a 21-10 win.
Saturday vs. CSU Bakersfield
After a non-conference matchup against Pacific, Cal Poly faced off against Big West foe CSU Bakersfield.
The match carried more weight since the Roadrunners edged out Cal Poly 3-2 with a set-three win on the final court in San Luis Obispo on March 26.
Now on the Bakersfield sand, Ferch and Martinez earned a team point with a 21-15, 21-14 win.
The No. 2 duo had a tighter matchup 21-19, 21-18 in their win.
Peranich and Golik at court three had another set go into tiebreaker this season. They won their first set 22-20 and took that momentum towards a commanding 21-10 win.
The final win came at court four from the pairing of senior Kalee Graff and freshmen Emma Zuffelato 21-16, 21-14. Graff and Zuffelato were not a pairing in the loss earlier this year.
Next week, Cal Poly hosts one of the biggest events in collegiate beach volleyball, the Center of Effort Challenge on April 14 and 15.
The Center of Effort Challenge will feature No. 1 TCU, No. 2 USC, No. 3 Florida State, No. 4 UCLA, No. 7 LMU, No. 12 Long Beach State and No. 18 Pepperdine.
The first powerhouse the Mustangs will take on is the nation’s best, No. 1 TCU, on Friday, April 14 at 1:45 p.m. at Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex.