On Oct. 17, Head Coach Caroline Walters became Cal Poly Volleyball’s all-time leader in coaching wins at 144, and is still accumulating as the season progresses.
Walters has spent 18 years in the program, seven as head coach.
“A lot of years, right. And not all great years. I think that’s something that needs to be talked about a little bit too,” Walters said. “This has been something that we’ve created over time here.”
Walters gives plenty of credit to her predecessors and her years of experience. She calls herself lucky to have had the opportunity to learn from her previous and current staff, as well as her student-athletes over the years, who have given her relationships to carry for a lifetime.
The record was set after defeating UC Riverside at the Mott Center during Alumni Night. An outstanding accomplishment, all falling into place, culminating in what seemed like perfect timing.
“Like, these things don’t happen. So, you know, I think there’s some divine thing happening for me to be lucky enough to be able to celebrate with this community, with my family, with my former student athletes in the stands,” Walters said.
Her career at Cal Poly has had its ups and downs over 18 years, but she credits her loyalty to the program with being a fantastic place to work. Walters speaks highly of San Luis Obispo, having grown up here during her coaching career and now with her family.
“There’s not one [place] I would choose that’s better than this. So ultimately, it’s the trust and belief from this place to keep going and keep seeing how many wins we can add to that number,” Walters said.
Walters admits she had to adapt over her coaching tenure, and understandably so as it spanned nearly two decades.
Walters says it was easy for her to initially coach the way she was coached as a student-athlete.
“That was a lot of running, a lot of yelling. And that’s how I treated [my players], you know, even as an assistant, my first few teams here, and I think that’s a generational style of coaching,” Walters said. “I think that the student-athlete has changed and what they need has changed.”
Walters’ awareness and willingness to adapt are admirable, and she understands it wouldn’t just benefit her, but the student-athletes she holds so dear. She is clearly invested in building relationships while also teaching for understanding, not just to coach.
“I’ve definitely evolved into that over the course of the last 18 years,” Walters said.“I think the other part is having kids; like having my three kids has given me a lot of perspective, you know, and understanding of all of these girls or someone that I care about.”
Walters’ athletes have fully taken her and her coaching to heart.
“She gives 110 percent of herself, and she’s just an incredible woman. And you can go up to her in a personal crisis and be like, ‘What? Can you give me something?’ And she’ll give you something,” junior outside hitter Kendall Beshear said. “I think her constant give and her constant grind to be better is what makes her such an incredible coach [and] person”
A coach with passion and care for her athletes, Walters hopes to instill confidence in each player and their capabilities, on and off the court.
“I think at the end of the day, when people leave here, hopefully they’re selfless [and] they’re motivated to be great in whatever they do,” Walters said. “Ultimately, I hope that going through this program, the lessons learned will stick with them for the rest of their life, [as] sport teaches us so many lessons for us.”
After setting a historic record, Walters is grateful for the accomplishment but remains focused on the rest of the season.
“Our goal is playing our best volleyball in November,” Walters said. “It’s a testament to so many people other than me, but ultimately, like, what is going to fill my bucket the most is competing for and winning another Big West championship.”