No. 6 Cal Poly (16-5) traveled to Hawai’i April 9-10 for a three-match series against No. 14 Hawai’i (8-7). The Mustangs won the first two matches before falling in the series finale.
Friday
The Mustangs opened up the series on Friday, April 9 with a 3-2 victory over the Beach Bows.
Redshirt sophomore Vanessa Roscoe and redshirt freshman Josie Ulrich grabbed the first victory for Cal Poly after they swept the Beach Bows on the No. 5 court, 21-17 and 21-12. The No. 3 pairing of redshirt junior Tia Miric and redshirt junior Mariah Whalen won set one 22-20 and dropped set two 10-21. The duo bounced back in set three, winning 15-13.
The No. 4 pair of redshirt sophomore Delaney Peranich and freshman Sam Strah won set one 21-17, but fell in sets two and three by scores of 16-21 and 11-15. Redshirt junior Macy Gordon and redshirt senior Emily Sonny fell in set one, 17-21, at the No. 1 court. The duo came back to win set two, 21-9, and set three, 15-13, to secure a victory for the Mustangs.
The No. 2 pair of redshirt sophomore Jayelin Lombard and redshirt senior Amy Ozee won set one, 17-21, but lost sets two and three, 17-21 and 10-15.
Saturday
In the first match of their doubleheader, Cal Poly defeated Hawai’i by a score of 4-1.
The No. 5 pair of Strah and redshirt sophomore Hannah Rogers fell to the Beach Bows in straight sets, 19-21 and 15-21. Miric and Whalen answered at the No. 3 court, sweeping the Beach Bows 21-9 and 21-17 to pick up a point for the Mustangs.
Roscoe and Ulrich moved up to the No. 4 slot and snagged a sweep of their own, downing Hawai’i by scores of 21-19 and 21-15. The No. 2 pairing of Lombard and Ozee fell in set one, 15-21, but answered back in sets two and three, winning 21-13 and 15-11.
The No. 1 pair of Gordon and Sonny capped off the Mustangs’ victory. They won set one, 21-17, fell in set two, 11-21, and won set three 15-12.
In the second match of the doubleheader, Hawai’i got the best of the Mustangs, sweeping them 0-5.
Freshman Piper Naess saw her first action of the weekend with Rogers as the No. 5 pair. The duo were swept, 16-21 and 26-28, and they are now 1-1 when playing together this season.
Roscoe and Ulrich suffered their first loss of the weekend after they were swept at the No. 4 court by scores of 14-21 and 22-24. The duo is 9-4 on the season.
Lombard and Ozee dropped into the No. 3 slot for the final match and were swept, 16-21 and 19-21. The pair went 1-2 on the weekend and move to 12-6 on the season.
The No. 2 pairing of Whalen and Miric won set one, 21-19, but couldn’t close it out, falling in sets two and three 14-21 and 13-15. They are 7-3 when playing together in 2021.
Gordon and Sonny were swept on the No. 1 court, 19-21 and 17-21. The duo is 14-4 on the season.
The Mustangs will return home next weekend to host the Center of Effort Challenge inside Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex. Cal Poly faces No. 2 USC and No. 9 Grand Canyon on Friday, April 16 and No. 1 UCLA and No. 5 Loyola Marymount on Saturday, April 17.