Walking into a typical gymnasium for a collegiate volleyball game, spectators will see fans filling in the bleachers and players warming up by the bench. They will hear echoing sounds of volleyballs bouncing and lively discussion among attendees.
But at Mott Athletic Center, there’s something extra lingering under the surface, something Cal Poly calls “Mott Magic.”
Cal Poly Volleyball has seen Mott Magic working overtime since last season. They are on one of the longest ongoing home winning streaks in collegiate volleyball with an over a year-long 18-game home winning streak, dating back to Oct. 25, 2024.
Only in Mott can you expect to hear “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)” by The Offspring blaring from the Mustang Band and see Cal Poly’s club water polo team shirtless with “MUSTANGS” written across their bodies.
The energy carries throughout the entirety of the match as the crowd rises to their feet for every set point, enamored by the Mustangs abilities and eager to see how they’ll execute a set win.
Together, these little pieces of community found at a Cal Poly Volleyball game make up the Mott Magic that has supported Cal Poly Volleyball’s year long home winning streak.
What is Mott Magic?
“Mott Magic is pretty indescribable,” head coach Caroline Walters said. “It’s a feeling and almost this program’s superpower.”
While most teams use the term “home court advantage” to describe the feeling during their home games, Cal Poly has their own term, and with it, another level of dominance.
“When we’re here, we have everybody like fans and people we know in the gym cheering for us, so it’s much easier to build that energy,” junior outside hitter Emma Fredrick said.
It is likely you will find a middle school, high school or club volleyball team coming out to admire the Mustang athletes at each home game. Before each match, the starting seven players stand on the endline and toss out mini volleyballs into the crowd once they are introduced, often to the young players.
“Specifically, why I love playing at home is just getting to interact with the community and knowing that I’m inspiring younger women to do the same thing that I’m doing right now,” sophomore outside hitter Kendall Beshear said.
Walters has had her fair share of travelling to gyms across the nation. Even after being a collegiate athlete herself at Santa Clara University, and now in her 17th year as part of the Cal Poly Volleyball coaching staff, Mott Athletics Center is still at the top of her list.
“It’s just a special, special place that I wouldn’t trade for any of the places that we’ve played this year or really in my career,” Walters said.
In February, Walters signed an extension locking her in as head coach for five more years, allowing her to experience Mott Magic through 2029.
Mott Magic vs. nationally ranked Utah
On Sep. 19, Cal Poly picked up the broom and swept the University of Utah, who ranked No. 20 in the nation at the time, with over 650 Mott Magic contributors in attendance.
Stakes were high at the preseason tournament match, as the Mustangs had fallen to the University of Minnesota – the only other ranked team on their schedule – back in their first game of the season.
“Beating Utah here was one of my favorite memories,” Fredrick said. “Sweeping them was crazy.”
The broader athletic community at Cal Poly consistently shows out at volleyball home games. Against Utah, the water polo team made their annual appearance, donning body paint and posters to fill out the student section.
“When you come here and play, you know that all these fans have your back,” Haberfield said.
The sweep stamped the Mustangs as a true Division I contender and marked their ninth straight home-win, putting Cal Poly on the radar for the rest of the season.
“That Utah game was special,” Beshear said. “I think it was one of the biggest games where I felt like everyone was just so excited to be here and that’s a really special Mott Magic moment.”
The Mustang Band
The secret recipe to Mott Magic is the Mustang Band who helps fuel the team’s energy, allowing them to be a dominant force on their home court and making it grueling for opposing teams to compete.
Before every home game starts, the band has their own video introduction announcing their entrance before the player introductions, getting the fans and Mustangs riled up for the match ahead.
“When the band intro comes on, I always get chills,” senior defensive specialist London Haberfield said. “It’s almost like a whole production in itself and it’s just so amazing to see.”
The pep band consists of around 65 members playing instruments ranging from drums to clarinets and everything in between. They start chants and cheers for the crowd to follow along and bring up the momentum in the whole gymnasium.
“The band is awesome, they’re so into it,” Beshear said. “Nobody understands how cool it is to have them here, it’s pretty awesome.”
Walters credits the band as a key part in making Mott Athletics Center one of the toughest venues for opposing teams to visit in the country.
“I think the band is not only the best in the Big West, but I think it’s the best in the country,” Walters said. “Their engagement with our group is something that we just don’t see at any other match we play in the season.”
The last bit of home magic
Utilizing the Mott Magic in their last couple home games is pivotal as the Mustangs approach the Big West Championship. The championship starts on Nov. 25 in Long Beach with seeds No. 3 through No. 6 playing in the first round of action. With an overall record of 21-5 and a conference record of 12-2, the Mustangs are looking to secure a top spot in the championship.
Being a top two seed would give the Mustangs a bye during the first round, time to settle into Long Beach and get some more practice repetitions in before the rest of the championship.
The Mustangs will finish the regular season on the road against CSU Fullerton and UC Irvine, but they will return for some final Mott Magic during their last home game on Nov. 15.
“I don’t think there’s a better place to play in the Big West,” Walters added. “Come experience the magic, come sit in these seats, come watch what we do, come feel the excitement of what this gym brings.”