Cal Poly Volleyball kept the momentum rolling, now on a six-game winning streak after sweeping Long Beach State (12-4 overall, 4-2 conference) on Saturday at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid.
Still undefeated in conference play, Cal Poly now sits at 10-6 overall and 6-0 in Big West play. The Mustangs have won five of their last six matches in a sweep.
The first set started as a back-and-forth affair, with five early ties, but once the Mustangs took the lead, they pulled away with a 4-0 run to 12-8 before The Beach took their first timeout. Coming out hot, Cal Poly recorded 16 kills in the first set while holding Long Beach to a .056 hitting percentage. The Mustangs ended the first set on a four-score run, 25-12.
The second set started just as competitive as the first, with three early ties to reach 5-5. Cal Poly then tied the game again with a three-point run to 11-11 before The Beach called a timeout. After another three-point run, the Mustangs led 16-13 and took full control of the set, later closing it with a five-point run to finish 25-17. The second set featured six ties and four lead changes, and the competition is heating up as both teams are scoring double-digit kills.
Now looking for another series sweep, the Mustangs have held The Beach to a hitting percentage under .100.
Long Beach brought the fight in the third set, taking an early 4-1 lead. Score after score, Cal Poly chipped away, pulling back and tying the game at 5-5 with another three-point run. While they couldn’t firmly separate themselves in this third, competitive set, the teams tied 10 times by the time both reached 15 points.
After tying it at 15, the Mustangs went on another three-point run; at 17-15, they forced The Beach to take a timeout in this gritty set. In a set with 12 ties and five lead changes, Cal Poly finally closed out the set and completed the sweep, 25-22.
Cal Poly won with an all-around team effort, hitting .378 while holding Long Beach to under .140. Star players Emma Fredrick and Kayla Murdoch helped the Mustangs win and continue their winning streak while remaining undefeated in the Big West. Fredrick recorded a whopping 15 kills, two assists, and four digs. Meanwhile, Murdoch recorded 10 kills, five blocks, and a .412 hitting percentage.
After an extensive four-game road trip, the Mustangs return to Cal Poly to extend their record in a back-to-back series. The series starts on Oct. 16 against California Baptist at 6 P.M., then faces UC Riverside on Oct. 17 at 4 P.M.