Cal Poly Beach Volleyball dropped their first two matches of the Center of Effort Challenge to No. 5 Stanford and No. 6 USC on Friday, April 11, at the Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex.
The No. 3-ranked Mustangs (22-5) are now 5-4 against opponents ranked in the top 10 in the nation, while the Cardinal (22-7) and Trojans (22-6) remain unbeaten in the tournament.
Tight-knit against the Cardinal
No. 3-ranked Cal Poly Beach Volleyball faced a massive test to open the Center of Effort Challenge in a top-five clash against the No. 5-ranked Stanford.
The opener of the highly anticipated tournament drew in one of the largest crowds for the team this season. An urgent electricity buzzed through the air as those in attendance surrounded the courts in crowds, eagerly awaiting the first serve between the two titans of collegiate beach volleyball.
The Mustangs (21-4) were looking to snap the Cardinal’s (21-7) three-game win streak. They ultimately added themselves as the fourth victim to Stanford’s ongoing string of dominance as Cal Poly dropped all but one game, losing the match 4-1.
The Mustangs’ No. 3 pair, composed of graduate student Lindsey Sparks and sophomore Quinn Perry, were the standout players of the match. They took home the lone win of the match for Cal Poly in straight sets, 21-18, 21-19.
The win tied the match up 1-1, following the loss of Cal Poly’s No. 1 pair, senior Piper Ferch and sophomore Erin Inskeep in straight sets.
The Mustangs’ No. 2 pairing of junior Izzy Martinez and sophomore Logan Walter, as well as the No. 5 pairing of Abbey Reinard and freshman Elise Lenahan, managed to avoid losses in straight sets but went down to the Cardinal’s corresponding pairs to give Stanford the convincing win.
Despite the lopsided final score leaning toward the Cardinal, the Mustangs made Stanford dig into the dirt for the win. Cal Poly remained neck-and-neck with Stanford and took three of the four games that were ultimately lost into a third set, losing each game by only a margin of four points or less.
The fourth duo of senior Madison Nichols and redshirt junior Ella Connor were especially gritty and had their games last the longest, forcing two of their three sets to extend beyond the sets’ initial point requirements.
Nichols and Connor fell in the first set 15-21 before mounting a comeback in the second set 23-21. The pair ultimately failed to complete the comeback, losing 14-16 to give Stanford its fourth win of the match, sealing the decisive victory.
Cal Poly will look to bounce back from the loss in the second game of the evening, a face-off against No. 6 USC at 7 p.m. at the Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex for the second match of the Center of Effort Challenge.
2024 Final Four rematch
Close to one year ago marked the date of Cal Poly Beach Volleyball’s first ever appearance in the Final Four.
As the No. 5 seed at the national tournament in Gulf Shores, Ala., the Mustangs had dominated the field until facing the No. 1 seed, USC. They were swept 3-0, and the Trojans went on to win the national championship.
Now, the four-time defending national champions USC walked into the Center of Effort Challenge looking to defend their title.Â
The Mustangs, meanwhile, were looking to avenge that loss.
The thrilling senior night battle between No. 5 USC and No. 3 Cal Poly came down to the final points of the third set on court No. 4.
In front of thousands of fans packed into the Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex, the Mustangs lost the third set on court No. 4, with the Trojans taking the final point for a 3-2 win.
The No. 4 pairing of Katie Clevenger and Elisa Lenahan battled hard but were unable to make up an early deficit as they were down 6-3 off the bat.
The No. 1 pairing of Ferch and Inskeep was dominant, defeating USC’s No. 1 pairing in a two-set sweep.
The No. 5 pairing of Connor and Nichols also won in straight sets.
Cal Poly will look to bounce back from an 0-2 Friday against No. 7 Florida State University at 11:30 a.m. The Mustangs will play a second game, but the time and opponent depend on the results of the morning game.