Erik Chu
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In the Cal Poly volleyball team’s Big West Conference home-opener, the Mustangs (5-7, 0-2 Big West) fell to the Aggies of UC Davis (6-9, 1-1) by a score of 20-25, 25-23, 15-25, 20-25. Sophomore middle blocker Taylor Gruenewald led the Mustangs with 10 kills, while freshman standout Taylor Nelson added 36 assists for the Mustangs.
In the first two sets, Cal Poly rushed out to early leads. The Mustangs had an 8-4 advantage in the first set and a 7-3 led in the second set. UC Davis was able to respond with runs of their own, and Cal Poly never recovered, only capturing the second set by the thinnest of margins 25-23.
Set No. 4 was extremely competitive, featuring 10 tied scorelines and six lead changes. An ace by the Aggies was a pivotal point in the set, giving the Aggies a 17-16 lead. UC Davis hit an amazing .444 in the set against just two errors en route to the match victory.
Overall, the Mustangs never had that killer instinct to grab total control of the match. Mistakes piled on quickly and the Mustangs could not recover in time.
“It’s a simple game,” said third-year head coach Sam Crosson. “We need to pass better, communicate better, and just play better.”
Cal Poly look to stop their losing streak against UC Riverside at home on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m.