Charlotte Kelly came to Cal Poly Volleyball expecting to take time to strengthen her skills and learn from those around her before jumping head first on the court.
However, in just her first year on the team she has stepped into the starting middle blocker position and made a name for herself in the Big West.
Her success comes at a cost, as breakout star redshirt junior middle blocker Breklyn Pulling tore her ACL and meniscus during summer practice. After Pulling’s impressive 2024 season, leading the team in blocks and receiving All-Big West First Team Honors, her absence left a crucial hole to fill on the team.
Head coach Caroline Walters wasted no time in setting Kelly up for success to fill that hole in the lineup.
Kelly was recruited by the volleyball coaching staff after a standout high school and club career. She played for Amador Valley High School and received EBAL All-League honors three times throughout her career. In 2024, Kelly broke the school record for career kills in her final season with the Dons and became a National Champion with her club team NorCal 18 Black.
“When I was 14, I finally kind of realized that playing at the D1 level was a chance that I could take,” Kelly said.
Kelly was no stranger to Cal Poly before arriving in San Luis Obispo, as her sister Katie is in her third year as a Mustang.
To ensure Cal Poly was right for her, Kelly attended a couple of volleyball camps to get the feel of the atmosphere, and that was just the beginning.
“I started to get recruited by them [the coaching staff], talked to Caroline, Jason and Addie on the phone and absolutely loved them,” Kelly said. “It felt like I was talking to family members.”
In just a short amount of time, Kelly has begun to thrive at the collegiate level, showing why Walters chose her for the position in Pulling’s absence.
“Even if Breklyn was here, Charlotte would have been ready to play and ready to compete,” Walters said. “We’re just seeing that a little bit more by necessity, but it’s not that she was a backup, she has been tremendous.”
Throughout the season thus far, Kelly has notched 63 kills and 72 blocks, setting her at No. 8 in the Big West for blocks.
Even while filling the shoes of a Big West standout, Kelly has stayed focused on learning her own role in her first year as a Mustang.
“I didn’t want to put too much pressure on myself to the point where it was going to be too much,” Kelly said. “I don’t need to be perfect, I don’t need to be this amazing player and step in immediately. I wanted to give myself some grace and just know that I could do it.”
Through Kelly’s fast-paced transition, she has had guidance from veteran players in her same position, including Pulling.
While Pulling is not on the court, her influence still shines through. She is at every practice working through her injury and attends every game supporting her team.
According to Kelly, Pulling has taken on a “big sister” role, helping her in her collegiate transition.
“She’s got more confident throughout the games,” Pulling said. “She’s gotten really smart with her blocking and her hitting.”
Another pivotal player in Kelly’s athletic journey is fellow middle blocker Chloe Leluge. Leluge and Pulling were a force to be reckoned with at the net last year as the sophomore added 89 blocks to the team’s defense throughout the season.
This season, Kelly works alongside Leluge as the two middle blockers rotating in each game. Leluge has captured 89 kills and 48 blocks this season, making her and Kelly a strong duo.
Aside from learning from her teammates playing the same position, Kelly has felt a connection with the whole team due to the team’s chemistry and dynamic.
“The girls on this team mean so much to me,” Kelly said. “They are so kind and helpful, everyone just wants the best for everyone, including the coaches.”
While Kelly’s transition seems to be going seamlessly based on her performance so far, she has experienced some growing pains as a true freshman Division 1 athlete. The speed of the game increases drastically going from high school to collegiate level, and Kelly has seen that first-hand.
“All of a sudden, I’m going up against 22-year-olds,” Kelly said. “It’s definitely a different feeling from just playing club.”
Despite the game speed transition, Kelly has fully immersed herself in Division I level Cal Poly volleyball. While it can be easy to get caught up in the possibility of gaining high-level accolades, Kelly has not let that get to her head.
Instead, she wants to ensure her presence on the team makes an impact and that her focus is always on the court.
“It would be nice to get Freshman of the Year or Freshman of the Week, and I think that’s possible, but I just want to work as hard as I possibly can and execute in the best way I can,” Kelly said.
Early in the season, the coaching staff knew Kelly’s potential. Assistant coach Addie Picha, who works one-on-one with the blockers, has helped Kelly find ways to put the ball down and elevate her game.
“Addie has taught us so much and it has made such an impact on this team from what she’s done as a middle coach,” Kelly said.
Kelly has taken the advice of the coaching staff and has been putting the Big West on notice since game one. A standout moment of hers was helping the Mustangs secure game one of the Blue-Green rivalry against UC Santa Barbara on Oct. 7, earning a season high six blocks.
Looking to repeat her dominant performances, Kelly wants to leave a legacy not only for herself but for generations of middle blockers to come. Kelly feels that oftentimes, middle blockers get overlooked despite the immense amount of effort they put into the game.
“I want to create that legacy that middles are a big part of volleyball, and when you have people as good as Addie and Chloe in front of you or helping you, it really does make a difference,” Kelly said.
While Kelly is only a freshman, she has already made an impact seen by coaches, teammates and fans.
Her domination on the court as a true freshman on both offense and defense has helped set Cal Poly up in Big West standings, giving the team a strong shot at an eventual postseason berth.
“This program means so much to me and I’m so excited to be a part of it,” Kelly said. “I really could not have done it without all these people around me.”
This story was updated on Oct. 24 to reflect the correct number of blocks Kelly has in the 2025 season.