After going 1-3 at the Center of Effort Challenge last weekend, Cal Poly Beach Volleyball looked to bounce back at the Lone Star Invitational on Friday, April 18 and Saturday, April 19.
The Mustangs were given some of their toughest tests of the season at the Center of Effort as they took on No. 1 TCU, No. 5 Stanford, No. 6 USC and No. 7 Florida State and fell from No. 3 to No. 6 in the latest rankings.
Cal Poly bounced back in a big way this past weekend before they head into the Big West Championships by beating all four teams they faced, including No. 7 University of Texas.
The wins also pushed Head Coach Todd Rogers to 200 career wins at the helm of the program.
Two Texas teams, two wins
On Friday, the Mustangs looked like a serious title contender, winning each of their individual matches against the overpowered Corpus Christi team in a 5-0 sweep.
No. 2 pair of junior Izzy Martinez and sophomore Logan Walter, and No. 4 pair of redshirt junior Ella Connor and senior Madi Nichols both took their matches in just two sets.
The other three pairs pushed their matches to three sets, but all delivered for the win.
The Mustangs took their second win of the day against the No. 7-ranked Longhorns in a 3-2 final.
The duos of Martinez and Walter, Connor and Nichols and the No. 1 duo of senior Piper Ferch and sophomore Erin Inskeep all won their matches to push Cal Poly to a crucial win.
Martinez and Walter have been strong all season at the No. 2 spot, racking up a 23-7 record.
Connor moved around the lineup near the beginning of this season but has settled into the No. 4 slot alongside Nichols, who are 12-5 together.
The team has its sights set high on an NCAA title after coming in third last year.
They have come up short against top programs like No. 2 TCU and No. 3 Stanford at the Center for Effort Challenge, but wins over No. 1 UCLA and No. 4 LMU have solidified the Mustangs as a legitimate threat in the tournament.
Two more sweeps on Saturday
Cal Poly kept rolling in their final two matches before the Big West Championships by sweeping No. 17 North Florida and Southern Mississippi.
Ferch and Inskeep, and freshman Elise Lenahan and sophomore Katie Clevenger won their matches against the Ospreys in straight sets.
The three matches that gave Cal Poly the win against the Golden Eagles were the duos of Martinez and Walter, Connor and Nichols and sophomore Quinn Perry and freshman Maddy Byrne, who all won in straight sets.
The Mustangs now gear up for the Big West Championships held in Santa Monica, Calif.
Last season, Cal Poly fell to Long Beach State in the semifinals, but were still awarded an at-large bid due to their high ranking.
Long Beach seems to be the Mustangs’ most formidable opponent as they hold a 2-1 record against the Beach.
The most recent match, Cal Poly lost in a 3-2 final at the Best in the West tournament on April 6.
The Mustangs will look to win their first Big West Championship since 2022 on Thursday, April 24 and Friday, April 25.