Cal Poly volleyball scored their 11th straight win this past weekend, taking the Rainbow Wahine to five sets Saturday at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Both teams started the match undefeated, but Cal Poly finished victorious. It is the Mustangs’ fifth time beating the Rainbow Wahine, with their last victory against them in 2006. Cal Poly now sits at the top of the Big West Conference standings 6-0.
Sophomore outside hitter Torrey Van Winden was a powerhouse for the team, especially in the last three comeback sets where she scored 18 of her 25 kills.
Hawaii quickly took a 9-3 lead in the first set but Cal Poly was able to catch up 14-11. However, the Rainbow Wahine played a tight game winning the first game 25-16, thanks to their strong blocks and attacks.
The two teams started the second set tied at four until Hawaii took the lead to 9-4 with five straight points. The Mustangs responded with nine straight points to lead 15-10. The teams went back and forth until the opponent scored four of the last six points to win the second set 25-22.
The Mustangs gave the Rainbow Wahine a run for their money, starting the third game with an early lead of 9-1. Hawaii attempted to close the gap with five points, but Cal Poly’s momentum took the lead to 22-13, ultimately earning a win of 25-15.
Similar to the third set, Cal Poly took a great lead at 12-5 in the fourth, but the Rainbow Wahine decreased the deficit to 13-11. The Mustangs pushed to 22-16, but yet again Hawaii caught up 22-21. Junior outside hitter Adlee Van Winden finished the set with a kill, bringing the Mustangs to a 25-22 win.
Both teams began the fifth and final set neck-and-neck before Cal Poly made it first to eight points. After the teams switched sides, the Mustangs increased the lead to 14-9. Torrey Van Winden’s 25th kill solidified a successful Cal Poly comeback.
Sophomore Torrey Van Winden recorded a match-high 25 kills (her sixth double-double of the season) along with 13 digs.
Her sister, Adlee Van Winden, had her own double-double with 14 kills, 17 digs and a team-high of three aces.
Big West Player of the Week, senior setter Taylor Nelson, lead the team with 50 assists with 12 digs. Junior libero Katherine Brouker finished with a season-high of
26 digs.
The Mustangs prepare this week before traveling south to take on UC Santa Barbra in the latest edition of the Blue-Green rivalry Saturday at 5:00 p.m.