SAN LUIS OBISPO — The TCU beach volleyball team picked up its first win over a ranked team in 2017 with a 3-2 victory over No. 15 Cal Poly at Pismo Beach, California, Thursday afternoon.”We played great today. Everyone stepped up their games,” TCU beach coach Hector Gutierrez said. “On Tuesday, we talked about what happened at Long Beach State and everyone knew they had to play their best and compete. They all stepped up and did a really good job.”The Horned Frogs, who are on the middle stop of a three-stop California road swing, opened the day with a 5-0 victory over Benedictine University (Arizona).In the win over the nationally ranked and host Mustangs, TCU got a 21-18, 21-17 win from Claire Doyle and Shane Peters, while in the other two matches, the Horned Frogs went three sets.Sarita Mikals and Ariah Palter held off Cal Poly’s Savannah Niemen and Anna Gorman 21-16, 13-21, 15-9, and TCU’s Jaelyn Greene and Amy Neal beat CP’s Hannah Hubbard and Emily Sonny 21-18, 14-21, 15-12 in the decisive set.”We’re doing all the right things and the girls are believing in the process,” Gutierrez said. “They are being competitive and playing hard and playing smart. They have been working hard.”Earlier Thursday, the Horned Frogs cruised to the win over Benedictine. Doyle/Peters (21-11, 21-15), Palter/Mikals (21-9, 21-8) and Greene/Neal (21-3, 21-11) went 2-0 for the day with wins, while Jillian Bergeson and Avery Arellano (21-6, 21-9) and Haven Hill and Molly Scheel (21-6, 21-9) picked up wins over Benedictine.With the two wins, the Horned Frogs, who lost at Long Beach State 5-0 Tuesday, improve to 5-2 and will have a day off before concluding the five-day, six-match road trip in Malibu, California, Saturday where they will meet No. 2 Pepperdine, No. 10 Arizona State and Cal State Los Angeles.”It’s going to be tough. It’s great competition,” Gutierrez said. “If we go there and play our game and compete you never know what’s going to happen. It can go either way.”TCU 3, No. 15 Cal Poly 2Jaelyn Greene/Amy Neal (TCU) defeated Hannah Hubbard/Emily Sonny (CP) 21-18, 14-21, 15-12Adlee VanWinden/Taylor Nelson (CP) defeated Molly School/Haven Hill (TCU) 21-16, 21-16Reann Greisen/Heather Pembroke (CP) defeated Jillian Bergeson/Avery Arellano (TCU) 22-20, 21-19Ariah Palter/Sarita Mikals (TCU) defeated Savannah Niemen/Anna Gorman (CP) 21-16, 13-21, 15-9Claire Doyle/Shane Peters (TCU) defeated Taylor Gruenewald/Brayden Gruenewald (CP) 21-18, 21-17TCU 5, Benedictine 0Jaelyn Greene/Amy Neal (TCU) defeated Hannah Marang/Jade DeLaRosa (BU) 21-3, 21-11Molly Scheel/Haven Hill (TCU) defeated Norma Suarez/Courtney Pitts (BU) 21-6, 21-9Jillian Bergeson/Avery Arellano (TCU) defeated Caitlan Sammons/Lauren Purdy (BU) 21-10, 21-10Ariah Palter/Sarita Mikals (TCU) defeated Cassady Leech/Kassie Renteria (BU) 21-9, 21-8Claire Doyle/Shane Peters (TCU) defeated Megan Block/Kina Mirzapour (BU) 21-11, 21-15
Source: GOFROGS.COM – TCU Takes Down No. 15 Cal Poly, Benedictine – TCU Horned Frogs Official Athletic Site