Cal Poly Volleyball completed their third consecutive sweep on the road against UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton on Friday, Oct. 11, and Saturday, Oct. 12.
The Mustangs (12-5, 5-1 Big West) jumped over the Anteaters (10-7, 4-2 Big West) in the Big West Conference standings while solidifying their place with another win over the Titans (4-12, 0-6 Big West).
Pulling’s career high helps propel Mustangs over Anteaters
In a match of deja vu, Cal Poly Volleyball swept UC Irvine, winning all three sets by a score of 25-23 at the Bren Events Center.
Both teams were 3-1 in the Big West and tied for second place entering today’s match.
However, after the Mustangs won 3-0 in dominating fashion, they moved to 4-1 in Big West play and are tied for first.
In previous years, the Mustang attack was very one-dimensional.
Many attacks would come from the left side for the outside hitters, primarily redshirt junior Lizzy Markovska and redshirt senior Tommi Stockham, but the offense has been noticeably different this season.
Although Markovska and Stockham still contributed seven and eight kills, respectively, in their match against the Anteaters, the Mustangs recorded 18 of their 41 kills from their two middles.
Redshirt sophomore Breklyn Pulling had 11 kills, a team-high, and freshman Chloe Leluge had seven.
They added 10 blocks, seven of which Pulling accounted for, tied for her best in her college career.
Head coach Caroline Walters has been preaching to her team all year about the importance of aggressive serves and forcing the opposing team off the net. The Mustangs executed this strategy well against UC Irvine.
As a result, the Mustangs recorded six service aces and forced the Anteaters into 23 attack errors.
After a slow start to the season, the Mustangs have won eight of their last 10 matches.
Next, they play Cal State Fullerton on the road before returning home to play two of the toughest teams in the Big West: UC Santa Barbara and the University of Hawaii.
Cal Poly has momentum and will continue to build on it before they head back to Mott Athletics Center for just their sixth and seventh games at home this season.
Mustangs sweep third straight Big West opponent
Cal Poly Volleyball secured their third consecutive clean sweep, defeating CSU Fullerton on the road, following their sweep against UC Irvine on Friday night.
Stockham led the Mustangs in kills, recording 13, and picked up her 24th serving ace of the season in the first set.
In the first set, the match remained close as the game was tied at seven apiece early on.
A crucial 5-0 run gave Cal Poly a 15-10 lead, and despite Fullerton’s attempt to close the gap, the Mustang pulled ahead further, leading by 10 points and finally sealing the first set with a 25-14 win.
Markovska delivered the game-winning point with a service ace, leading the team in aces for the night with four.
The Titans struggled with overpasses, which led to easy points for the Mustangs.
The second set started more competitively for both teams, trailing back and forth and tied at 12 apiece.
Cal Poly’s defense was outstanding. Players dived and contorted their bodies to keep rallies alive, refusing to give up easy points.
Markovska added another service ace, extending her tally for the season, and the Mustangs regained control, leading 16-15.
Fullerton’s miscommunication and errors allowed Cal Poly to pull ahead after a timeout, increasing their lead by five points.
Redshirt senior Amy Hiatt connected on a powerful block to clinch the winning point in the second set 25-17.
Looking ahead for another clean sweep, the Titans were unbothered. They went into the third set stronger than the first two and took a 5-1 lead early, their largest lead throughout the match.
Both teams traded points until the Mustangs broke the 13-13 tie to take the lead, which they held for the rest of the set.
Redshirt junior Emme Bullis delivered the final blow, securing the win 25-18 and completing the clean sweep.
The Mustangs maintained a focused lineup, utilizing a strict rotation of nine players against the Titans. This cohesive strategy helped maintain steady consistency among the team and secure the sweep.
Cal Poly will face UC Santa Barbara on Thursday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. at Mott Athletics Center.
The Mustangs will aim to keep their win streak alive and defeat the Gauchos after falling short four consecutive times since 2022.
