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No. 15 Mustangs Sweep Aggies in Big West opener

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Junior outside hitter Torrey Van Winden recorded her fourth double-double of the season with a match-high 14 kills and 16 digs while hitting .462 to help lead the Cal Poly volleyball to a 3-0 (25-12, 25-22, 25-16) victory over UC Davis Tuesday night at Mott Athletics Center in the Big West opener.

The victory, which was head coach Sam Crosson’s 100th career win at Cal Poly, extends the No. 15 Mustangs’ (11-1, 1-0 BWC) winning streak to 10 matches and also sets the record for the longest home winning streak in program history at 14, which dates back to 2016.

As a team, Cal Poly hit a season-high .372 in the sweep while holding the Aggies (8-5, 0-1 BWC) to a .161 hitting percentage, including an .024 in the third set.

Four Cal Poly players finished six kills each as the Mustangs spread it around. Freshman setter Avalon DeNecochea dished out 31 assists while also adding a match-high four blocks and senior libero Katherine Brouker added 11 digs.

Cal Poly came out of the gate strong in the first set, getting out to a 12-5 lead. The Mustangs then extended their lead to as many as 13 in a span that included a 10-3 run. Thanks to a .519 hitting percentage and no errors committed by Cal Poly, the Mustangs won the set 25-12.

The beginning of the second set was a different story as the teams traded points and small runs. Tied at 16, an Adlee Van Winden kill, followed by a Meredith Phillips kill and two straight UC Davis attack errors, Cal Poly scored four straight points to take a 20-16 lead. The Aggies were able to cut the lead to two later on. However, up 24-22, a kill from Torrey Van Winden put away the set for the Mustangs 25-22. Despite UC Davis out-hitting Cal Poly .316 to .256, the Mustangs were helped by six Aggie service errors in the set.

The third set started much like the first, with Cal Poly getting out to a 13-4 lead. The Mustangs never let up from there, extending their lead by as many as 10. Up 20-14, Cal Poly scored five of the last seven points to win the set 25-16 as they held UC Davis to an .024 hitting percentage while hitting .393 themselves.

The win is their fourth sweep in their last five matches.

The Mustangs hit the road this weekend for two more Big West matches. They will take on Cal State Fullerton on Friday at 7 p.m. That match will be streamed on ESPN3. You can find that link on the schedule page on GoPoly.com. They will then face UC Riverside Saturday at 7 p.m. That match is also available to watch via the link on GoPoly.com

-Provided by Cal Poly