Cal Poly Beach Volleyball came within a single set of knocking off the top team in the country Saturday afternoon.
The No. 6 Mustangs fell 3-2 to No. 1 Stanford in day two of the Center of Effort Challenge on April 11, just hours after a convincing 4-1 win over No. 9 University of California. The split highlights both Cal Poly’s progress and how close they are to breaking through against the nation’s elite.
READ MORE: “Cal Poly Beach Volleyball falls just short of UCLA upset in day one of Center of Effort Challenge“
Against Stanford, the Mustangs (4-9 all-time vs. the Cardinal) pushed the dual down to the wire, with three courts going to three sets at Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex.
On court one, Ella Connor and Erin Inskeep battled Stanford’s top pair of Kelly Belardi and Avery Jackson before falling 16-21, 21-17, 15-10.
Despite the loss, the duo set the tone early in the day against Cal. Cal Poly opened the day with a 4-1 win over Cal, continuing its strong play at home. Connor and Inskeep dropped a tight first set, 21-23, to Cal’s Elena Donley and Portia Sherman before responding with a 21-19, 15-12 comeback win on court one.
“Dropping that first set was frustrating, but it honestly gave us a pretty clear look at what we needed to clean up,” Inskeep said. “We were a little passive from the service line.”
The adjustment was immediate. The pair increased serving pressure and tightened their defensive reads to regain control.
“Once we started getting more touches at the net and slowing them down, it kind of shifted the momentum,” Connor said.
Cal Poly secured the dual with wins from Izzy Martinez and Logan Walter on court two (21-17, 18-21, 15-5), Quinn Perry and Ashleigh Adams on court three (23-25, 21-14, 15-9) and Julia Westby and Elise Lenahan on court four (21-16, 21-17).
The afternoon dual against Stanford followed a similar script, with incredibly tight sets. After Cal Poly took two courts, Stanford responded with three wins, including a three-set victory on court four and a straight-set win on court three to clinch the dual.
Connor and Inskeep again showed composure despite the result, forcing a third set after dropping the first.
“I think our communication is everything in those moments,” Connor said. “We’re always checking in, even just a quick ‘we’re good’ after a point.”
That communication proved key in keeping the Mustangs competitive throughout the match.
“We don’t overanalyze, we’ll just say one or two things we want to focus on next play and move on,” Inskeep added.
The loss continues a trend for Cal Poly this season, a trend of competing evenly with the nation’s best but falling just short in decisive moments. Against Stanford, the Mustangs adjusted their approach after recognizing early offensive efficiency from the Cardinal.
“They were siding out really efficiently and mixing up their shots well,” Inskeep said. “We felt like we were reacting a bit instead of dictating.”
The response was more aggressive serving and a more intentional defensive scheme.
“We started serving tougher to specific zones and being more intentional with our defense, just trying to take away their first option,” Connor said.
Despite the loss, Cal Poly’s performance reinforced its standing as one of the top programs in the country. The Mustangs have now taken multiple top-10 teams to tight duals and continue to show depth across all five courts.
For Connor and Inskeep, the focus remains on steady improvement rather than results alone. “It shows where we can respond under pressure but also where we can be better from the start,” Inskeep said.
“We’ll go back, watch film and just keep building,” Connor said. “It’s kind of exciting, we feel like we still have another level.”
Saturday’s matches were played in front of a home crowd in San Luis Obispo, where the Mustangs continue to feed off the atmosphere. Rather than adding pressure, the environment has become a source of momentum.
“We try to keep it light,” Inskeep said. “At the end of the day we just love playing together, so having people here supporting us just adds to that.”
With postseason play approaching, Cal Poly is proving it can hang with anyone in the country. The next step is turning close matches into signature wins.
They’ll have one last chance to do that at the Stanford Tournament on April 17-18, where both Cal and Stanford will be back on the sand for a final matchup before tournament play begins.