The Cal Poly women’s volleyball team kept its dream of winning the Big West by defeating Cal State Northridge alive in four sets: 25-9, 20-25, 25-20 and 25-14. The Mustangs improved their record to 9-11 overall and 4-3 in the Big West. They are also a perfect 4-0 this season at Mott Gym.
Cal Poly played an almost flawless first set Thursday night. The team committed one error and had 22 total attacks. CSU Northridge made nine errors and was never able to dig out of a 9-0 hole to start the match. All-American Jennifer Keddy set the tone for the Mustangs early with five kills, and Kate Walters had seven of her team-high 39 assists in the first set.
“We have really been stressing scoring points with our serves and defense,” interim head coach Caroline Walters said. “We did a good job of that in game one, when we play low-error volleyball, we are winning.”
The Mustangs were unable to sustain momentum in game two as Northridge came back and won 22-25. The Matadors almost duplicated that feat in game three, but came up short 20-25. Cal Poly committed 12 errors in the third and fourth sets and was unable to capitalize on its height advantage at the net. The turning point in the match came in the third game with the score tied at 16-16 when Cal State Northridge’s Casey Hinger served the ball into the net. The Matadors did this twice more, and were unable to regain momentum.
“We were a little too relaxed with the way we finished the first game,” senior Catie Smith said. “We got a little complacent and let them get back in the game.”
The fourth game resembled the first as Cal Poly played precisely and Northridge reverted back to being uncompetitive and mistake ridden.
Marianne Gera had four blocks and the Mustangs’ defense repeatedly stifled the Matadors at the net. Keddy finished with a team high of 22 kills and Lauren Law had 19 digs.
This was Cal Poly’s second consecutive win. The night before, UC Santa Barbara became another Mott Gym victim as it fell to Cal Poly 3-2.
“These are two huge matches for us,” Walters said. “The last time we were at Long Beach, it was 15-13 last set, and we are hungry for that match.”