The Denver Pioneers deserve all of Cal Poly’s attention. They’ll get it, but knuckleheads like me can’t stop thinking about a potential Cal Poly vs. UCLA second-round matchup in the 2017 NCAA Volleyball Tournament.

After winning the Big West and going undefeated in conference play, Cal Poly earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. For sophomore Torrey Van Winden, a transfer from UCLA, the location of the first and potential second-round games is familiar — Pauley Pavilion.

Torrey, whose sister Adlee is a junior on the team, grew up with senior setter Taylor Nelson. In fact, their mothers played together in the mid-80’s at Cal Poly.

Last time @CalPolyVolley made the NCAA's, it was 2007 and Jon Stevenson was head coach. They swept Xavier and Purdue before losing to Stanford in three sets in the Sweet 16. #RideHigh #GoMustangs

— Max Milander (@MustangMax1) November 27, 2017

Torrey played at UCLA last season, but transferred to Cal Poly in the summer. She talked about feeling at home in San Luis Obispo this season and also about maybe having something to prove with the Mustangs.

First up is Denver, though. Out of the Summit League, the Pioneers had their highest ever final RPI this year at 55. Cal Poly’s RPI sits at 16. If they win, an 18-10 UCLA team is a likely opponent. 

If you’re in Los Angeles, this Cal Poly team is really fun to root for. Get to Pauley Pavilion on Friday night. You won’t be disappointed. 

Game time: Friday, 5:30pm

After sweeping the final home weekend of the season, Cal Poly volleyball clinched their first Big West Conference title in ten years Saturday night, sweeping third-place UC Irvine in three sets. 

For Cal Poly head coach Sam Crosson, the title marks the apex of a five year reconstruction of a program that went 4-26 in the year before he arrived. For the three seniors on the roster — Raeann Griesen, Savannah Neiman, and Taylor Nelson, the team’s 19th win in a row came on Senior Day at Mott Athletic Center. 

Mott dominance

Cal Poly finished their home season without losing a match at Mott all season. One thing that’s helpful is that they don’t play any non-conference games at home. But the Mustangs weren’t just good at home. They were dominant. In TOTAL, Cal Poly dropped just three sets at home in eight matches — two of those sets were against Hawai’i in their five-set victory. Cal Poly isn’t likely to host any NCAA Tournament games, but crowds definitely grew over the course of the season and you can bet that the Mustangs will start next season with about as big a home-court advantage as you can have in the Big West, aside from Hawai’i.

The right mix

Cal Poly used a familiar formula on the attack on Saturday night. Names like Van Winden, Nelson, Greisen, and Neiman led the way. Even in a three-set match in past years, Greisen or Adlee Van Winden would have a hugely disproportionate number of attacks and kills. Because they have such a depth of talent this season, Cal Poly has been able to limit each player’s number of swings. 

Volleyball health can be a cumulative thing. With the conference wrapped-up, it will be interesting to see if any players get days off or far less game usage on the road this week in preparation for the NCAA Tournament at the end of the month.

Mott Madness

Mott Athletic Center has been rocking the past few weeks. Starting with the Hawai’i game, Cal Poly drew 3,032, 2,781, 2,234, and 1,624 fans. Drawing almost 2,500 fans per game down the stretch is a pretty great number at Cal Poly. Being a top-25 team, this group certainly deserves all the attention they’re getting.

Alumnae on-hand

The conference-clinching match came in front of many of Crosson’s first freshman class that included Taylor Gruenewald and Shannon Fouts, among others. Those players endured 12-17 and 9-17 records in their first two seasons with the program, attended Cal Poly before there even was a beach program, and helped groom many of the younger players who are undefeated in conference play with just two matches left.

I didn’t pay a lot of attention to volleyball prior to Crosson’s arrival, but I know the culture wasn’t what he wanted it to be early-on. Changing culture isn’t always easy. This group has done it, and come out on the other side with all the success they could have hoped for. 

Congratulations are, certainly, in order. 

Photos from Friday night below by Owen Main. 

For more photos, or to purchase photos, click here.  If you just want to contribute to the cause, Venmo @Owen-Main or paypal owen@fansmanship.com. 

Cal Poly Volleyball still has four regular season games left on their schedule, but with a pair of home wins this weekend, Sam Crosson’s group could clinch their first Big West title since he arrived five seasons ago. 

Cal Poly head coach Sam Crosson has seen the Mustang program turn around over his five years in San Luis Obispo. By Owen Main

First they beat Hawai’i in Hawai’i. Then, they beat them at home. The Mustangs continue to be in the Big West driver’s seat. 

Over the past week, Cal Poly moved up to 22nd in the coaches poll. It marked the fourth straight week they appeared in the top-25 — they were 23rd each of the past three weeks. 

On Friday, Cal Poly will host UC Davis on Alumni Night at 7pm, followed by a senior day match with UC Irvine on Saturday afternoon at 2:00pm, preceding the football game. If you haven’t seen them yet this season, you should.

The Anteaters — Cal Poly’s Saturday opponents — have come up in Big West play, establishing themselves in third place with two weeks left. Cal Poly beat them in three sets in Irvine earlier in the season on ESPN3. 

Two games clear of Hawai’i and three games clear of UC Irvine in the loss column, Cal Poly can clinch the conference title outright on senior day with two weekend wins. 

While men’s and women’s soccer and football all have had disappointing seasons to date, the volleyball team has been stellar. They are unlikely to host an NCAA Tournament Regional in San Luis Obispo, so this weekend will probably be the final chance to see them in San Luis Obispo this year. 

If you’re a sports fan, they are worth your time. 

To view or purchase photos, click here. 

If you just want to contribute to the cause, Venmo @Owen-Main or paypal owen@fansmanship.com. 

The last time Cal Poly volleyball was poised to win the Big West title, Hawai’i wasn’t even in the conference. This year, though, has been different. Cal Poly has been in the top-25 for a few weeks now and are still undefeated in Big West Conference play. On Friday night, they beat Hawai’i in a five-set thriller.

The Cal Poly volleyball team celebrates after beating Hawai’i for the second time this season. Photo by Owen Main

For the first time in what seems like forever, the Mustang volleyball team is in the driver’s seat with five games to play. 

With their second victory over the Rainbow Wahine, Sam Crosson’s squad now has an effective three-match lead over Hawai’i and UC Irvine with just five matches left in the regular season. 

Let’s play five

The match on Friday started ugly. Multiple service errors and errant passes on defense kept the Mustangs from getting into any kind of rhythm. Cal Poly was able to get some of that rhythm in the second set and tied the match going into the break. 

The third and fourth sets were a grind. Hawai’i stormed back from a six-point defecit late in the third to take it, but Cal Poly once again rallied in the fourth, setting up the decisive fifth set. 

In the fifth, the teams didn’t seem to have much between them, until Cal Poly took a lead late. With the score tied at 14, Cal Poly scored the 15th point. After a Hawai’i point tied the match at 15, the Mustangs won two in a row to seal the match. 

Seniors show out

Taylor Nelson had 63 assists in the match, including some Sam Crosson said were simply a force of will. 

With Hawai’i focusing on stopping the Van Winden sisters, Raeann Greisen had what might have been her best match, notching 20 kills and hitting. 306 for the match. Junior Adlee Van Winden was also very efficient with 17 kills of her own and a .372 hitting percentage. 

At middle blocker, Savannah Niemen held her own against the taller Hawai’i team, managing 11 kills. 

There will be a few more games at Mott this year, but none will be as memorable as the Hawai’i game. 

Five year plan

Five years ago, Sam Crosson took over a program in shambles. His first few years weren’t easy as the program transitioned players from the previous regime out and got his players in. The Mustangs have been at the top of the conference’s second tier of teams for the past few years, but haven’t been able to break through. 

With new coaches at Hawai’i and Long Beach State this season, along with the addition of Torrey Van Winden to Cal Poly’s already-potent lineup, this was the year for Cal Poly to assert themselves at the top of the conference. 

Barring some kind of historic meltdown, that’s just what this Cal Poly team has done.

Tournament time?

With a top-25 ranking and a conference title likely, Cal Poly will almost definitely make the NCAA tournament. While they’ve hosted a tournament game before, the Mustangs aren’t likely to this season. That’s because the tournament has “regionals,” kind of like baseball, that use a bid process. Sure, they’ll take into account the solid record the Mustangs have amassed.

But the NCAA doesn’t like to make teams travel too far in sports like volleyball and with Stanford and USC ahead of them in RPI and UCLA ahead of them in the coaches poll, it would be unlikely the Mustangs could/would outbid three California-based Pac 12 schools for the right to host. 

But I suppose anything’s possible. 

Currently Cal Poly is ranked 23rd in the coaches poll and 21st in the RPI. 

Cal Poly has just one game this week, hosting UCSB on Friday night at 7pm at Mott Athletic Center, before two games at home and two on the road in subsequent weeks to finish the season. 

To view or purchase photos from Friday night’s match, click here. 

If you just want to contribute to the cause, Venmo @Owen-Main or paypal owen@fansmanship.com. 

The Cal Poly Volleyball team is off to their best start since I was just a few months old (1981) and their best start in the Division I era at 15-2 overall and 6-0 in Big West Conference play. This is, or could be, arguably, the best Cal Poly Volleyball team the school has ever put on the court. On Saturday, they’ll be tested by perennial powerhouse Hawai’i.

The Rainbow Wahine have their first new head coach since the mid 70’s, but are still a force to be reckoned with. They are 10-5 on the season and also undefeated so far in Big West Conference play. Cal Poly has beaten Long Beach State at the Pyramid, have a higher RPI, and were effectively ranked 26th in the nation in the coaches poll this week.

Torrey Van Winden, a transfer from UCLA and Adlee’s younger sister, has been a revelation for Cal Poly’s already high-powered attack. By Owen Main

With Torrey and Adlee Van Winden, Raeann Griesen, and Savannah Niemen leading the attack and Taylor Nelson setting the table, the Mustangs have only lost to two teams in the top-25 and beat the only other ranked school they played. Torrey Van Winden already has two Big West Player of the Week honors this season and Taylor Nelson earned one recently as well. If they win at Hawai’i, they’ll almost certainly deserve to crack that top-25 poll. It will be anything but easy. 

In sports like volleyball and against a team like Hawai’i, nothing is given. Cal Poly is just 4-39 all-time against Hawai’i. So, the Mustangs might be the better team this season. The numbers would say they are. But until they go into the Stan Sheriff Center and come away with a match win, I’ll simply maintain a healthy optimism.

From what I saw two weeks ago, this year’s Cal Poly team has more weapons than any Mustang team I’ve seen. Last week, Cal Poly won in Long Beach. A win in Honolulu would be another strong message to the Big West and the rest of the national college volleyball scene: Cal Poly is dangerous. 

Folks around Cal Poly athletics are going to be real busy this weekend. From Thursday to Sunday, there are six home games, including one that’s being played in Paso Robles to go along with the Hall of Fame Dinner on Friday night.

Redshirt freshman forward Georgina Stiegeler has been dangerous as an attacker for Cal Poly this season. By Owen Main

The fun starts on Thursday night, when women’s soccer hosts Denver at Alex G. Spanos Stadium, starting at 7:00pm. Alex Crozier’s team is coming off an overtime win on Sunday afternoon and looks to build momentum going into Big West Conference play next week. 

***

On Friday, the volleyball team — a squad with REALLY high expectations this season, makes their 2017 Mott Athletics Center debut against conference foe Cal State Fullerton. The game starts at 6:30. The Cal Poly Hall of Fame dinner will take place on Friday night as well next door at the multipurpose room at the Cal Poly Recreation Center. Inductees will include major league pitcher Kevin Correia, Dr. Ken Walker, football running back Craig Young, and probably the best women’s basketball player in Cal Poly history, Kristina Santiago, among others. 

***

Cal Poly keeper Simon Boehme is the reigning Big West Defensive Player of the Week. By Owen Main

If you didn’t get your fill on Friday, Saturday is even busier. It starts with a rare 11:00am start for the men’s soccer team. They’ll play a “home” game against CSU Bakersfield at Paso Robles Horse Park. With a football game on the same day, the soccer team’s choice to play a game off campus and try to engage the north county community makes sense. It also makes the drive for the Roadrunners a really short one. 

With just four goals in six games played, the Mustangs’ 2-4 record doesn’t seem as bad as it could be. Cal Poly’s offense will look to get going CSUB is also 2-4 coming into the match, but has given up 13 goals in their six games.

***

Once the soccer game is over, Sam Crosson’s volleyball team will play their second game in as many days against UC Riverside. Have I mentioned this volleyball team is good? They’ve won six straight, sweeping five of those matches. The only two sets they’ve lost over that span was in a 3-2 win over 23rd ranked Wichita State. They are legitimate contenders in the Big West this year. If you’re a student or will be on campus anyway for football, you should go early and check it out. You will not be disappointed. Saturday’s volleyball game starts at 4:30. 

***

I’ll be toast by then and my camera battery may need a recharge, but there’s no rest for the weary. With their playoff hopes maybe already on the line, Cal Poly football will kick off their Big Sky Conference season against a top opponent in Northern Arizona. The Lumberjacks might be the toughest opponent Cal Poly has left on their schedule and a win would go a long way toward building confidence for the 0-3 Mustangs.

Khaleel Jenkins and the Cal Poly offense will try to get off to a good start in Big Sky Conference play on Saturday evening. By Owen Main

This game is important for SO many reasons, but one is that it is the first opportunity for freshmen to see a football game on-campus. They’ve been here for over two weeks now, and this is a big chance to make a first impression. Despite an 0-3 start, Cal Poly has an opportunity to go 1-0 in the Big Sky, engage their fanbase on campus, and get on a track toward a playoff berth. Northern Arizona is really good and I expect this game to be close and well-played.

I also expect it to be well-coached. Cal Poly is coming off a bye and whatever kinks offensive coordinator Jim Craft has had over the first three weeks, he’ll need to call a complete game and his offense will have to execute a complete 60 minutes for Cal Poly to win. Kickoff is at 6:05 and the Hall of Fame inductees from Friday night will be recognized at halftime. 

***

Saturday night, we’ll all get home around 10:30 or 11:00. And on Sunday, probably with a munchkin in-tow again (what, am I gonna abandon my wife and BOTH kids for four straight days?), I’m likely to be at the women’s soccer game. Expect the pitch to be a little bumpier as the Spanos field absorbs its third game in four days. This is not an unusual occurrence there in the Fall, but it does start to show some wear and tear by Sunday afternoon on weekends like this.

By the end of the weekend, I’m thinking I’ll have put some mileage on my camera, legs, and even my car. I’m estimating maybe 5,000 photos on my camera, 70 miles on my car, and probably a more pronounced farmer’s tan. If I had a fitbit, I’d tell you how many steps. I’m sure it’ll be in the millions. At least it’ll feel like it. 

It’s going to be a fun weekend. 

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Raeann Greisen and company had their chances on Saturday, but Hawai’i was too much. By Owen Main

For a moment, Cal Poly looked like they had the momentum. The Mustangs volleyball team came out of the gates on Saturday night with sharp passes and an effective attack in the first set to stake a 1-0 lead on Hawai’i. The Rainbow Wahine are a legendary program for a reason, though, and they roared back to win the next three sets and the match at Mott Athletics Center.

The pivotal moment might have come in the second set, when the two teams were within a point or two most of the way. Down 16-15, Cal Poly gave up the ensuing three points and Hawai’i took control from there. The Rainbow Wahine led most of the third set by double digits and won the fourth by a score of 25-16.

Cal Poly finishes their home season Wednesday night at Mott Athletics Center against Central Coast rival UCSB. The match starts at 7:00 pm.

Photos by Owen Main

Click here to view on an iPhone or iPad

 

Cal Poly Volleyball won their home opener on Friday night at Mott Athletics Center. By Owen Main

On Friday night, Cal Poly volleyball christened the new floor at Mott Athletics Center, beating Cal State Bakersfield three sets to one.

After they won their first match of the season, the Mustangs had lost four straight matches before winning their home opener. As part of the ShareSLO Tournament, Cal Poly will play both Sacramento State and San Jose State on Saturday.

The Mustangs finish (2-4) will finish their five-match homestand next Friday and Saturday in the Cal Poly/UCSB Tournament against Northern Illinois and Santa Clara.

Photos by Owen Main

To view photos on an iPhone or iPad, click here.