Cal Poly Volleyball opened its season in College Station at the Texas A&M Invitational this weekend.
Throughout the invitational, the Mustangs (2-1) faced Grand Canyon University, reigning national champions Texas A&M, and Arkansas State.
GCU SweepÂ
Cal Poly began the weekend with a 3-0 sweep over Grand Canyon University.
The Mustangs’ offense and defense were firing on all cylinders as they held GCU under a .130 hitting percentage in the first two sets and outhit the Antelopes (1-2) by 27 kills by the end of the match.
Junior outside hitter Kendall Beshear was a key player in this match, leading the offense with 16 kills and co-captaining the defense with junior libero Elif Hurriyet, both tallying 10 digs.
Coming off an injury, redshirt senior middle blocker Breklyn Pulling made her first match appearance since the 2024 season. Throughout the match, she racked up seven kills with a hitting percentage of .417.
After the departure of redshirt senior setter Emme Bullis, the Mustangs had a hole in their lineup to fill. Junior transfer from the University of Washington, Alexis Haury, stepped into the position and racked up 46 assists in her first game as a Mustang.
GCU put up a fight as they had seven blocks compared to the Mustangs’ four, and they lost by no more than four points in each set. Still, it was not enough to stop the Mustangs as they brought in their first win and sweep of the season.
Matchup Against Defending National Champions Â
Despite their momentum from Friday’s victory, the tables turned for the Mustangs on Saturday when they were swept 3-0 by No. 1 Texas A&M.
With 12 ties in the first set and six in the third, the Mustangs put up a fight against the national champions.
Cal Poly started the match strong on both offense and defense in set one. They limited the Aggies (3-2) to their lowest hitting percentage of the night at .286 while also tallying their highest number of kills in the match with 16.
Outside hitters Emma Fredrick and Beshear led the offense, both bringing in 12 kills throughout the match with Fredrick earning a hitting percentage of .360.
Despite Cal Poly’s efforts, they had six service errors, allowing the Aggies to take the set with a score of 26-24.
The Mustangs lost their momentum in set two as Texas A&M came back with a vengeance, utilizing their blockers to allow the Mustangs only eight kills.
The Aggies had an early 11-5 lead, with the Mustangs limiting the deficit to 16-14, yet it was not enough as eight total errors resulted in a 25-15 loss for the Mustangs.
Cal Poly recharged for set three, giving the Aggies a run for their money. Despite earning their highest hitting percentage of the night at .286, the Mustangs lost the set in a close 25-23 finish.
A key player for the Mustangs’ offense to close out the match was redshirt senior outside hitter Kayla Murdoch. Murdoch is a third-year returner for the Mustangs and recorded four of the team’s 12 kills in set three.
Ending Strong Against Arkansas State
The Mustangs bounced back on Sunday, sweeping Arkansas State to end the invitational.
The Red Wolves (0-3) are one of seven teams on Cal Poly’s schedule that appeared in the NCAA Tournament last season, making this a quality victory for the Mustangs.
Mirroring their match against GCU, the Mustang roster worked as a cohesive unit on both offense and defense as they had an overall hitting percentage of .303 and recorded seven blocks as opposed to Arkansas’ three.
The second set allowed the Mustangs to display their offensive power as they had their highest hitting and kill percentage of the night along with recording their highest number of kills and assists.
Beshear and Hurriyet continued their efficient play as Beshear led the team with 14 kills, and Hurriyet spearheaded the defense with 12 digs.
Coming off her injury, Pulling continued to prove herself as she tied with Arkansas middle blocker Haley Glunz for the match’s No. 1 spot in hitting percentage at .500.
A pivotal part of the Mustangs’ gameplay throughout the match was their decrease in errors. They cut their service errors from Saturday’s match in half, only logging five, allowing them to end the invitational with a victory over the Red Wolves.
The Mustang Squad
With 13 returners, five fresh faces and competition for various spots in the lineup, this invitational allowed the Mustangs to showcase their roster.
With five middle blockers on the team, the starting position has been up in the air. This invitational featured three returners in the position: Pulling, junior Chloe Leluge and sophomore Charlotte Kelly. Coming off her true freshman season where she played in every set, Kelly led the position throughout the weekend, recording seven total blocks, followed by Pulling with six and Leluge with four.
Similar to the middle position, there were three contenders for the setter position: Haury, senior Samantha Callahan and sophomore Brooke Hansen. Haury prevailed as she was the only setter used in the invitational. She tallied 110 total assists, helping the Mustangs secure their first two victories this season.
Three notable returning starters include Beshear, Fredrick and Hurriyet. Beshear and Fredrick combined for 75 total kills, making them a standout duo in the front row, while Hurriyet tallied 35 digs.
With a preseason full of previous NCAA tournament competitors ahead, the Mustangs will continue to prepare their roster for Big West Conference play.
Cal Poly continues their preseason schedule at the UC Davis Invitational, where they will face San Diego State on Sep. 4 and UC Davis on Sep. 5.