Cal Poly Volleyball (14-6, 10-0 Big West) completed a dominant Blue-Green rivalry sweep over UC Santa Barbara (10-11, 6-4 Big West), taking down the Gauchos in straight sets (25-16, 25-22, 25-23) inside Mott Athletics Center.
The Mustangs have now matched their best conference start since 2017.
Head Coach Caroline Walters admitted that maintaining focus after a quick turnaround from Thursday’s match in Santa Barbara came with mental hurdles, but praised her team’s ability to dig deep.
“We were down big in two sets and were able to claw our way back, and that showed just a lot of resilience,” Walters said.
That resilience was tested in the third set when the Gauchos surged ahead early. But the Mustangs came back to take the lead, tying the score 13-13 before senior outside hitter Emma Fredrick sealed the sweep with back-to-back kills down the stretch.
Senior outside hitter Kendall Beshear had 14 kills and reflected on the team’s relentless mindset as they push through the second half of their conference schedule.
“You blink, and you’re ten games in, and it’s just kind of a crazy feeling,” Beshear said. “We’re not done yet. Job’s not finished. We have a phrase: ‘Give everything we have until we have what we want,’ and we have not gotten close to what we want.”
That unyielding drive has been the cornerstone of the Mustangs’ success this season, fueled by a tight-knit team culture that thrives under pressure.
The Mustangs will look to extend their win streak against UC Irvine at Bren Events Center on Oct. 30 at 7 P.M.