Mott Athletics Center roared with fans cheering on their feet as Cal Poly Volleyball reached match point. They were just one point away from sweeping the No. 20 team in the nation, and Utah was on offense.
On Utah’s third touch, the ball fell short of making it over the net, securing Cal Poly’s sixth straight victory.
The point clinched the Mustangs third straight victory in the SLO Classic tournament, bringing their season record to 9-3.
Tournament Play
The Mustangs faced three teams throughout the three-day tournament: Saint Mary’s (2-9), University of Utah (7-3) and California Baptist University (4-8).
To kick off SLO Classic action, the Mustangs faced Saint Mary’s in a fierce, five set match.
Saint Mary’s commanded the first set with a score of 25-13. The second set saw the Mustangs give the Gaels a run for their money, but Cal Poly ultimately dropped the 25-27 overtime set, resulting in an 0-2 disadvantage.
However, in true Cal Poly fashion, the Mustangs won the next three sets (25-17, 25-18, 15-13), for their 10th reverse sweep in the last two years.
“The Saint Mary’s match is probably a standout match for us, and I think it’s because we showed each other that we can do it even in the moments where we’re back against the wall,” sophomore outside hitter Kendall Beshear said.
Beshear was an essential player in the match, leading the defense with 12 digs and earning the second most kills (13). Fellow junior outside hitter Emma Fredrick led the way with 15 kills.
The Mustangs kept their winning streak going on Friday after a highly anticipated game against No. 20 Utah. Not only did Cal Poly win the match, they swept the Utes.
Cal Poly dominated early on, winning the first set 25-14. The next two sets had tighter scores, but Cal Poly remained victorious (25-18, 25-19).
This victory marked Cal Poly’s first win over a ranked opponent since 2019 when they also beat Utah.
The Mustang’s offense and defense worked in perfect harmony to contribute to the team’s success, racking in a .330 hitting percentage and 49 digs throughout the game.
Fredrick led the team’s offense with 11 kills while sophomore middle blocker Chloe Lelgue followed closely behind with eight kills, zero errors, and an astonishing .667 hitting percentage.
This stellar offense has contributed to the team’s overall hitting percentage of .290, ranking first in the Big West Conference.
Besides the offense and defense, the team had another secret weapon when it came to their game against Utah.
“We had so much confidence going into that game, like knowing how we can play, and we went out and just did it,” redshirt senior setter Emme Bullis said. “We were looking to each other with such confidence like ‘we’re going to do this.”
Closing out the tournament on Saturday, the Mustangs swept Cal Baptist in three sets, scoring 25-15 in the first set, 25-21 in the second set and 25-17 in the third.
Once again, Cal Poly’s offense and defense were in sync to continue the team’s winning streak, adding 35 kills and 34 digs.
Fredrick continued her stellar performance throughout the tournament, leading the offense with another 11 kill match.
Sophomore libero Elif Hurriyet stepped back into her starting role this weekend and had 12 play saving digs on defense.
These tough, preseason games allow the team to get a head start when it comes to preparing for conference play.
“These preseason games are super good for skills, like developmentally, but also, we want to be good at that Big West tournament,” Leluge said. “So, I am just really excited to see how these preseason matches are going to translate into conference games.”
SLO Community Support
A big factor in the team’s energy, chemistry, and winning streak is the support of the San Luis Obispo Community.
“The crowd can be the difference between a couple of missed serves and it’s super cool,” Leluge said.
Before the past two tournaments hosted at Mott Gym, the Mustangs had been away for two weeks.
“I am just so excited that SLO came and showed out for us in those big matches,”Beshear said. “Being able to play in an environment like that was unreal and I hope we get to continue that and even build on that this season.”
1,886 fans were in attendance throughout the weekend, over 150 more compared to the home opening tournament last season.
“I wish there was a way we could give back to our community more and thank them for coming out,” Bullis said. “It seriously means so much, like being able to be surrounded by our parents, our peers, our community members, our classmates, the band, all of that, we’re so thankful for it.”
What’s next for the Mustangs?
The Mustangs start conference play against California State University, Northridge on September 26 at 6 p.m. at home in Mott Athletics Center.
With conference play ahead, the Mustangs will now be facing teams more than once rather than the one-time opponents they faced in the past few tournaments.
“I’m super excited to see how we’re going to respond to games where we might win and then how do we beat them again, or maybe we lose and how do we beat them the next time,” Beshear said.
Last year, Cal Poly Volleyball won the Big West regular season conference after a hard-fought season. They hope this year is no different.
“I think we’re just hungry to go win Big West again and try to go back-to-back,” Bullis said.