Last weekend, Cal Poly Volleyball extended their conference-leading winning streak to eight with wins over Cal State Bakersfield on Friday and CSU Northridge on Saturday night.
While the Mustangs (19-5,10-2 Big West) have remained undefeated at home, the team’s performance on the road has been slightly less predictable. Entering the Central Valley with hopes of maintaining momentum, the Mustangs rose to the challenge and came away with back-to-back wins.
Stampeding the Roadrunners
The Mustangs opened the weekend with a win against Bakersfield, sweeping them 3-0. Cal Poly hit .427 and managed at least 17 kills every set, continuing their offensive momentum that has propelled them through the winning streak.
The first set started close, but as it went on, the Mustangs’ attackers proved too much to handle, pulling ahead with a .417 hitting percentage while committing just two attack errors.
By the second set, Bakersfield pushed back with a sharper serving performance, landing two aces while Cal Poly struggled with six service errors. Still, the Mustangs’ offense found their rhythm, delivering their most efficient set of the night and taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.
Junior outside hitter Emma Fredrick shined in her hometown, leading the match with 17 kills on a .500 hitting percentage. She also added two service aces and two blocks, finishing with 19.5 points.
Joining Fredrick, senior setter Emme Bullis turned in a strong all-around performance with 38 assists and 14 digs, while Beshear contributed 12 kills and 14.5 points to the win.
Neck-and-neck game at CSU Northridge
Saturday proved to be a tougher task for the Mustangs, who took the Matadors to five sets in a 3-2 win.
Both sides of the ball were on fire on day two of the road trip, recording double-digit kills and setting the program’s season high for digs with 81 in the win.
Displaying their efficient offense in the first set, Cal Poly posted a .406 attacking percentage with 16 kills against three errors. Bullis sealed the 25-16 win with a major kill.
By the second set, the Matadors racked up five service aces and four team blocks, catching the Mustangs off guard and evening the match at 1-1.
CSUN refused defeat, keeping the set alive with 15 ties, eight lead changes, and 17 kills that evened the set facing elimination. With the score tied at 22-22, the Matadors closed on a three-point run to take the fourth set and force a fifth set.
The Mustangs responded in the fifth set behind a final kill from senior outside hitter Annabelle Thalken, sealing their eighth straight victory.
Freshman middle blocker Charlotte Kelly tallied a team-high and career-high 15 kills on Saturday. The standout freshman has consistently dominated at the net this season, quickly establishing herself as one of the Big West’s rising talents.
Additionally, sophomore libero Elif Hurriyet posted a new season-high of 22 digs alongside Bullis’ 19 digs and a season-high 51 assists.
After finishing up the road trip, the Mustangs will come home to play co-second-place holder Long Beach State this Friday, Nov. 7.