Cal Poly’s fall sports programs have gotten off to a successful start in 2015. All teams are sporting a .500 or higher winning percentage thus far in their respective seasons.
Looking to rebound from their 9-17 season a year ago, Cal Poly’s women’s volleyball team is off to a hot 7-2 start. The team finished 2-1 in each of their first two tournaments of the year at Baylor University and in Portland.
Freshman Adlee Van Winden also became the first player in Big West Conference history to collect three straight Big West Freshman of the Week honors.
The Mustangs’ women’s soccer team started the season 3-2-2 and has racked up two straight wins over Fresno State (4-0) and San Jose State (2-1). Freshman Caitlyn Kreutz leads the team with four goals, though Cal Poly’s all-time leading goal scorer Elise Krieghoff has scored just once so far.
The men’s soccer team began the season 3-1-1 behind new coach Steve Sampson, the former head of the United States men’s national team. The team’s wins came over University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Air Force and Seattle University.
Senior Matt LaGrassa leads the team thus far with two goals. Men’s soccer continues their season this Friday at UCLA, the No. 8 team in the nation.
Women’s cross country began the season with an undefeated 2-0 start, taking home wins at both UCSB’s Lagoon Open and the Fresno State Invitational. Cal Poly runners took the first four spots at the Lagoon Open as sophomore Sydney Szabo took home the individual win.
Junior Ashley Windsor led the team with her third place finish at the Fresno State Invitational. Freshman Peyton Bilo finished as Cal Poly’s second runner in each of the first two meets.
Cal Poly’s men’s cross country team also looks strong despite their 1-1 start. Competing in the same two meets as the women, the men finished second in the Lagoon Open and won the Fresno State Invitational. Junior Swarnjit Boyal also finished second individually in the Lagoon Open and won the Fresno State Invitational.
The football team is off to a 1-1 start and has risen to the No. 18 ranking in the FCS Coaches’ Poll. The team began the season with a late, come-from-behind upset over Montana, who was one week removed from knocking off the top ranked FCS team in the country, North Dakota State.
College Sports Madness named Cal Poly linebacker Tu’uta Inoke the FCS national Defensive Player of the Week for his 16 tackles and two forced fumbles in the win against Montana. Similarly, Root Sports named kicker Alex Vega the Special Teams Player of the Week for his 49-yard game-winning field goal.
The Mustangs received their first loss of the season last weekend after traveling to Arizona State. Though Arizona State was heavily favored, the Sun Devils couldn’t pull away until midway into the fourth quarter en route to a 35-21 defeat of the Mustangs. Cal Poly looks to continue its success at home this week as they host No. 11 Northern Iowa on Saturday.