Cal Poly Beach Volleyball finished in third place in the Center of Effort Challenge from Friday, April 12 through Saturday, April 13.
The tournament the Mustangs had longed for all year had finally come and they split a quartet of matches against No. 1 UCLA, No. 4 Florida State, No. 5 TCU and No. 10 LMU.
The Mustangs had a few things to prepare for before their last home game of the season, including cold and rainy weather, the battle against a few of the highest-ranked teams, and the bittersweet farewell to Cal Poly’s lone senior Piper Naess.
Despite the internal pressures and chilly air, every warm-up drill built energy throughout the day.
The Mustangs were ready to show their fans back home why they had been ranked No. 6 in the nation by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
Cal Poly faced No. 4 Florida State University and No. 10 LMU on Friday, April 12. The Mustangs finished the day 1-1, falling short to the Seminoles (27-7) and picking up a win from the Lions (22-11).
The following day, Cal Poly battled against No. 1 UCLA and No. 5 TCU. Similarly to the first game, the Mustangs ended the day 1-1, dropping a tight game against the Bruins (28-4), but recovered and secured a win from the Horned Frogs (25-7).
Opening up the day with a narrow loss
The Mustangs made their way onto the cold sand courts to start the tournament against one of their most formidable opponents, No. 4 Florida State.
Cal Poly wasted no time against the highly ranked Seminoles and got to work, gaining a 3-2 lead for the first sets.
The No. 1 pair of redshirt sophomore Ella Connor and sophomore Izzy Martinez established the Mustangs’ will to win after taking their opponent’s No. 1 with a score of 21-18, 21-18.
“I think just dialing in on our connection and running different plays has prepared us, but Izzy and I really strive at that level of intensity, and we push ourselves to be better every day,” Connor said.
Florida State came back during the second sets on the No. 3 and No. 4 courts and took on a 2-1 lead against the Mustangs.
All eyes were now on the fifth court as Naess and freshman Logan Walter secured a 2-2 tie for the Mustangs.
Playing down to the wire, the No. 2 pairing fought in their third set to muster a win but ultimately fell to Florida State’s No. 2 pairing 16-14.
“It stings a little, but I think we’ve regrouped as a team, and we’re ready to take on LMU next,” Martinez said after the matchup.
Bounce back win against LMU puts the Mustangs back on track
Back on the sand a few hours later, the Mustangs returned with intentions to regain their winning momentum and take down No. 10 LMU.
Once the whistle to serve was blown, sand was in the air. Each court displayed scrappy plays from both sides of the net.
It was clear from the second set that this was going to be another tough match for the Mustangs after only winning one of the matches in two sets.
Cal Poly surged forward and gathered two more wins, finalizing their victory against the Lions.
Finishing her match with a game-point kill and collecting the last win of the day, Naess ended her senior night on top.
The Mustangs still can’t get over the hump that is UCLA
Cal Poly is greeted with soaked sand courts the next day of their tournament, but the turbulent weather didn’t stop the Mustangs from getting the day started against No. 1 UCLA.
Being up against yet another powerful team, Cal Poly played with both aggression and defensive plays.
Out of the five matches, two were taken in two straight sets by Cal Poly’s No. 2 and No. 4 pairings. The Bruins picked up their own straight-set match, but the Mustangs stayed on top with a 2-1 lead.
It was down to the No. 1 and No. 3 spots. Each court was tense as victory bounced between the nets, and despite the disadvantages the rain had brought, Cal Poly stayed assertive.
Both pairings ended almost simultaneously, both resulting in a close loss for the Mustangs.
Rounding out the tournament with a much needed win
The rain had eased going into their final game of the weekend, and both teams and spectators welcomed the warmth and light from the peaking sun.
Although the Mustangs were down 1-2 overall for the tournament, they showed up for their next match with the same drive and put on an impressive show.
No. 3 duo of graduate Lindsey Sparks and freshman Quinn Perry set the dominating pace for this matchup, taking their victory in two sets 21-19, 21-5.
Cal Poly was rewarded with its first win over a top-five team this season after three more pairs finished their matches in straight sets.
Despite splitting their matchups for the weekend, the Mustangs came out of the tournament with a third-place finish behind No. 1 UCLA and No. 2 USC.
“I loved it. I mean, I wish the weather could’ve been a little better, but it was fun, and we had some really good games,” junior Piper Ferch said.
Cal Poly, now 23-5, will turn its attention toward its last regular season event next weekend in New Orleans.
They will take on Southern Mississippi and Tulane on Friday, April 19, and UAB and the University of Louisiana-Monore on Saturday, April 20.