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. 

Sam Crosson is beginning his fourth season as Cal Poly volleyball coach. He also leads the sand volleyball team. By Owen Main

Cal Poly volleyball hasn’t had this good a start in almost 10 years. At 5-1, Sam Crosson finally has his program on what seems to be the right track.

Coming into the year, Crosson’s overall record over his first three seasons was 25-60 — a .294 winning percentage.

This season, though, the seven freshman that played on last year’s team are all sophomores, with a full collegiate season under their belts. Add to that mix Adlee Van Winden, the two-time defending Big West Freshman of the week, along with a few seasoned veterans like Nicole Kessler, Hannah Schleis Maddie Kuber, and Taylor Gruenwald (who happen to be the only four upperclassmen on this year’s roster) and Cal Poly’s attack looks like it has a chance to compete in the top half of the Big West once again.

Cal Poly volleyball seems back on the winning track. On Friday and Saturday, the team swept its opening weekend in the Big West Conference, sending a message that last year was an aberration.

The momentum of over 1,300 fans at Mott Athletics Center on Friday night helped Cal Poly to a straight-sets victory. By Owen Main

A Hot Conference Start

Cal Poly swept all six sets they played over the weekend in dominating fashion. Last season, they won only three matches in conference and four overall.

Megan McConnell, Chelsea Hardin, and Taylor Gruenewald are starting to come into their own on the attack and former Big West Player of the Year, Jennifer Keddy, is back in the middle to anchor the front line. Players like Maddie Kuber, Kate Walters, Steffi Sooter, and Nicole Kessler are facilitating the offense much more comfortably.

McConnell racked up 23 total kills on the weekend, Gruenewald 19, and Hardin 29. Maddie Kuber facilitated the offense with 76 assists in the two matches. On Monday, McConnell was named Big West Conference Player of the Week.

“The atmosphere was awesome,” said second-year Cal Poly head coach Sam Crosson after the Friday night sweep of UC Irvine. “The crowd was unbelievable.”

Keddy agreed with her coach’s assessment.

“It’s our first home game and there are so many people. I think it’s great that they came, but it’s important that we won. We want people to come back.”

Come back they did on Saturday, when over 1,000 fans again filed into Mott to watch the Mustangs sweep Long Beach State.

“I give credit to the seniors,” said Crosson. “Last year’s juniors, we probably had more differences at times than similarities and I think as the course of their career has gone on they’ve been around me more and they’ve been around the staff with Chris and Jen here now… I think those are all positives and it’s their last year. They want to make their last year a memorable one for them, but also for the program. They want to be able to say ‘hey, we were there when Cal Poly started their rise back into national prominence.”

Most of the key cogs in Cal Poly’s machine this year are players who were on the roster last season. So what’s the difference?

“I think a lot of it is they’re better players,” said Crosson. “They’ve bought into understanding that there are some technical things you need to work on, but there’s also the mental side, which is ‘Yes, you can. You’re capable of doing these things and capable of doing them for a long period of time.’ I think last year I think they felt a little more underprepared for matches, so this year we played a fair amount of top-25 and Pac-12 schools and really tried to challenge them as much as possible… .

“We weren’t able to sustain for a long enough period of time to be victorious in those matches, but when you start getting out of that realm and playing in conference matches in the Big West I think you’re very much prepared for what’s in front of you and I think those girls have decided to fully buy in and fully go out there and do the things we’re asking them to do.”

Momentum

Volleyball has to be the most momentum-laden sport there is. From the moment any match starts, body language and what player interaction before and after points can be a great indicator as to how a team is going to play.

While I’ve only been to 4-5 matches over the past two years, Friday night was a stark contrast to the matches I saw last year. The difference between actually taking joy in success and forcing a post-point celebration became more and more clear through every point.

This year’s Mustangs have more confidence and an increased belief is definitely apparent.

Maddie Kuber usually runs the offense, but here she gets a deflection on an attack from Irvine’s Aly Squires. By Owen Main

Winning has been the norm

Cal Poly is a volleyball school. For newer fans or students, that might be a surprise.

Between 2005 and 2010, the volleyball program netted five top-3 finishes in the Big West including two conference titles. Their record over those six years was 66-26 in the Big West Conference and 112-60 overall.

This program is one that made back-to-back tournament appearances less than 10 years ago and the team’s start to conference play has fans hoping that the past two years were simply an aberration.

Keddy is back

Last season’s team lost a leading attacker to a transfer, lost Keddy to injury, and head coach Sam Crosson was brought into his first coaching job with a lot to do. Keddy has battled back from shoulder and foot surgeries and has played sparingly during the preseason in hopes of being completely healthy for Big West Conference play.

“I would never wish this upon anyone,” said Keddy, referring to her injuries after Friday night’s conference-opening win. “But I think it’s made me stronger as a player and not take anything for granted, because it can be taken away from you in a second.”

Prior to last season, Keddy was named to the “A2 Program” by USA Volleyball. That was before a shoulder injury forced the senior middle blocker to redshirt last year. With a healthy shoulder, Keddy was poised to have a strong offseason, but injured her foot, which also required surgery and has limited her playing time this season.

After a 4-26 season in his first year as head coach, Crosson has a former Big West Conference Player of the year back in Jennifer Keddy, and his team has already won twice as many matches as 2012.

[See image gallery at www.fansmanship.com]

Sand Volleyball seems like it will be fun to watch. By Matthew Brown aka Morven via Wikimedia Commons

Earlier this month, Cal Poly Athletics announced that it will be adding sand (beach) volleyball as an NCAA sport, with competitions happening in the Spring. At an alumni function over the weekend, Cal Poly Athletic Director Don Oberhelman said that the Mustang team will be the only team to actually compete at the beach. Pismo Beach has existing volleyball nets/courts and there or Avila would seem to make the most sense for Mustang home matches.

The addition of sand volleyball (the NCAA will probably eventually change the name to “Beach Volleyball”) will allow volleyball players to compete during both the fall and spring seasons.

Sand volleyball has some similarities to a few other sports in its structure. Like doubles tennis, there will be five pairs of players from each school who will compete in 3-set matches to 21, 21, and 15 respectively. Players getting to compete in both the fall and spring is similar to the track, indoor track, and cross country seasons, when runners can compete nearly year-round.

Schools in California are definitely the target markets for this new sport. Here’s a Long Beach Gazette YouTube video of highlights from a Long Beach State-USC matchup this past season.

If you want to learn more about the sport and other NCAA programs, collegesand.org seems like a good website.

Long Beach State, a Big West stalwart, seems to also have a good squad.

Cal Poly junior setter Kate Walters sets a teammate in Saturday’s match vs. Cal State Northridge. Photo by David Livingston

After taking a set from 8th-ranked Hawaii on Friday night, the Cal Poly women were swept by Cal State Northridge on Saturday 3-sets-to-none.

The match was closer than the sweep indicated. The first set could have gone either way, with the Mustangs taking the Matadors to 32-30. The scores of the last two sets were 25-23 and 25-22. In a season where results have been hard to come by, Cal Poly played one of their more competitive matches, despite the straight-set loss.

The Mustangs are now 1-16 on the season (0-5 in Big West Conference play) in coach Sam Crosson’s first year as head coach.

Photos by David Livingston

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Cal Poly competed against the 8th ranked team in the country on Friday evening at Mott Gym. Photo by Owen Main

If first year Cal Poly head coach Sam Crosson takes joy in small victories, he may have allowed himself a fleeting smile on Friday evening. Up against 8th ranked Hawai’i, Crosson’s Mustangs followed a familiar pattern, falling behind 2 sets to none. But then, the Mustangs did something they haven’t done much of lately — they avoided the sweep by winning a set off the Wahine.

Though they ended up losing the match 3-1, the set victory against a highly-ranked opponent is a small bright spot in the midst of a 1-15 season.

Also, there was a soccer game afterwards. The Mustang men lost 1-0 to Cal State Northridge. I included some pictures from there as well. More pictures from the soccer game and another story coming soon.

Photos by Owen Main (Click photo to scroll)

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