Freshman outside hitter Megan McConnell led a trio of Mustangs in double-digit kill figures with 16 Saturday evening, but the Cal Poly volleyball team suffered a 23-25, 23-25, 25-22, 25-19, 15-11 loss against Pacific in Mott Gym – the program’s third-straight, five-set defeat and second in as many nights after leading.
“We were just ready to win in three,” freshman outside hitter Megan McConnell said. “We wanted revenge for our previous losses.”
Junior middle blocker Dominique Olowolafe added a season-best 15 kills and hit .409 while freshman opposite Holly Franks added 13 kills for Cal Poly (6-15, 2-6), which fell to 2-4 in five-set matches this year and 0-3 when leading during a five-set match. Freshman setter Anuhea Keanini totaled a career-best 56 assists for the Mustangs, who were outhit by the Tigers, .333-.200, and outblocked, 23-10.
Despite being limited to a .242 hitting mark during set No. 1, the Mustangs snatched nine of the initial 11 points and led the opening game wire-to-wire. Cal Poly solidified its lead by battering Pacific (15-4, 5-3) with a .448 hitting percentage during the second set and claiming the last of three lead changes at 24-23 following a McConnell kill.
Cal Poly, however, committed 11 hitting miscues during a third set in which the Mustangs led just once and never by more than two points. Pacific forced the deciding set by hitting .440 during game No. 4.
In the fifth set, kills by freshman Jennifer Keddy and sophomore Catie Smith allowed the Mustangs to build an early 4-2 advantage. Pacific, however, failed to commit a hitting error down the stretch and utilized an 8-2 run to post its first victory in Mott Gym since Oct. 2, 2004.
Friday night Cal Poly fell in five-sets to UC Davis. Against the Aggies, it was more of a back-and-forth affair. The Mustangs took the first set, the Aggies the second and the Mustangs the third. From there the Aggies controlled the next two sets for the victory.
In both games the Mustangs won two of the first three matches.
Despite a youthful team head coach Jon Stevenson is not convinced his recent teams struggles are due to a lack of experience. He’s solidified his rotation of young players and feels comfortable with their experience.
“I don’t think it’s that they’re that young or youthful,” he said. “The freshman are 21 matches old. In volleyball life that’s a substantial number of matches.”
Cal Poly resumes play at UC Riverside on Friday, Oct. 23.. Match time inside the Student Recreation Center, as well as for Cal Poly’s Oct. 24 match at No. 21 UC Irvine, is scheduled for 7 p.m.