The score was 14-7 with Cal Poly leading USC in the fifth set of its second round NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament matchup. With a pass sailing tight to the net, Emme Bullis flicked the ball over to the Trojans side and notched the game winning point to send Cal Poly Volleyball to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in 18 years.
“I will remember that dump, the celebration and that whole night of celebrating with our team forever,” Head Coach Caroline Walters said.
After defeating UC Davis in a four-set match to claim the Big West Championship title, the Mustangs received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament for the first time in six years, where they competed in three rounds of play before being eliminated by the University of Kentucky.
Cinderella Story
With BYU consistently ranked in the top 25 throughout the season and Cal Poly being unranked, the odds of a Mustang first-round victory were slim to none.
Cal Poly defied those odds, as redshirt senior setter Emme Bullis’ 52 assists and sophomore outside hitter Kendall Beshear’s season high of 20 kills led the team to victory in a dramatic five set match.
If the Mustangs did not draw enough attention after defeating BYU, they ensured Cal Poly was recognized after their win against USC in yet another five-set match that sent them to the Sweet Sixteen.
With both victories under their belt, the team started to receive coverage on a national scale. Beshear was featured on the NCAA Volleyball’s official social media accounts in an interview with Michella Chester, and ESPNW featured a team celebration picture on their Instagram.
“Just to get that national recognition was awesome,” sophomore middle blocker Chloe Leluge said. “I was like, ‘oh my gosh, people love us, we love ourselves and we love this team too,’ and it’s really cool to see that be translated.”
After the two upset wins, the Mustangs were the only non-ranked team left in the Sweet Sixteen, earning themselves the title of this year’s “Cinderella Story.” The name is a long-held representation of the unexpected success that smaller schools can accomplish even when playing against top teams.
“When you have these underdog upsets, it’s easy to cheer for,” Walters said. “But then you see people smiling and doing it in a way that looks genuine, authentic and the relationships look real that it makes you want to root for that team that much more.”
Throughout the season, the Mustangs drew on the energy of the campus community as they defended their home court with a clean home record of 15-0. They have not lost a home game since Oct. 25, 2024, and have a 19-game home winning streak under their belts.
Once the team hit the national eye after defeating BYU, the Mustangs’ unique mindset and brand of volleyball shined through on a national stage that they players had not had before.
“I think it was really cool to be recognized for being our authentic selves,” Beshear said. “People saw us on TV and don’t even know where SLO is on the map but were like ‘I like those girls, I like what they’re putting out there.’”
With their newfound national recognition came another responsibility for the team. Being a mid-major in the Sweet Sixteen, Cal Poly now represented mid-majors across the country.
“Little girls get to look at us and be like, ‘I don’t need to go to a ginormous school to have a good tournament run and I don’t need to be 6’2 to be an outside hitter,” Beshear said. “I think we got to show a new brand of volleyball to the NCAA stage.”
Looking Ahead
With their tournament run, the team inserted themselves into a higher tier of volleyball competition, challenging top programs for a national championship.
“It provided a lot of confirmation for what we’ve known to be true within our group for a long time,” Walters said. “We told [recruits] that a deep run in the tournament was possible and to have our kids on our roster that we told that to and to have done that, it confirms that we have the right plan to do this.”
Leading up to their tournament run, the Mustangs finished the season with their best record since 2018. They had an overall record of 27-8, landing just behind the 2018 season where they finished 25-3.
“The big [takeaway] is just understanding that the plan we have works and not deviating from that … just because of this success,” Walters said.
While the team’s hard work was a huge contributor to their long-lasting tournament run, their team’s chemistry played a pivotal role as their winning run progressed. Throughout the season, the team emphasized that their group felt like a family.
Seniors Bullis, Annabelle Thalken, London Haberfield and Brooklyn Burns have played together since their freshman year. With the four seniors on the roster, their team was able to develop together and follow their leadership throughout the years.
“For [the seniors] to have so many different experiences over their four years but also be able to end it in the sweetest way … you cannot write a story this good,” Walters said.
Going into next season, Walters wants to emulate their same brand of volleyball that led them through this season in hopes for future success including carrying over that winning momentum as the graduating players move on.
“Staying true to who we are is something that I want to continue to grow from,” Walters said.
Samantha Roach is a sports reporter for Mustang News and is employed by Cal Poly Athletics to create social media content for the volleyball team.