Most dogs make great companions, but not all dogs are on the roster for a Division I sports team.
The Irish setter golden retriever mix, Hercules, also known as Herc, has fueled the success of Cal Poly’s Beach Volleyball team with his playful energy as an official staff member.
His owner, Ella Connor, a fifth-year beach volleyball player who holds the record for the program’s all-time career wins, credits Herc with getting her to where she is today.
“I got him my sophomore year after I was having a lot of mental health issues,” the kinesiology senior said. “He’s been the best thing ever.”
Herc is a certified service animal for panic attacks and can sense when they are coming based on smell and breathing patterns. After six months of training with Doggy Do Good in Arroyo Grande, Connor adopted Herc.
Connor was forced to redshirt as a sophomore due to her struggle with mental health to keep her year of eligibility, but she did not let that stop her from coming back stronger. With Herc alongside her, she went on to be recognized as a first-team all-American player by the American Volleyball Coaches Association following the 2023 season.
Loyal companion turns into the heart of beach volleyball
While there was no doubt that Herc’s presence had positively impacted her performance, what Connor quickly realized was how loved Herc was not only by her, but by her whole team.
Brody Badham, a practice player for the team and an agricultural science sophomore, emphasized how important Herc was to him.
“I love Herc. He’s a huge morale booster,” Badham said. “If you’re going through something, he’s always there.”
Head Coach Todd Rodgers and Assistant Coach Angela Rock are also dog owners, and Connor feels like having Herc around improves their mood.
“He’s just been a light to everyone,” Connor said.
Once Herc started attending practices and games regularly, a joke about putting him on the roster became a reality. Within a week of mentioning the idea to Connor Leary, the director of athletic communications, Herc got his own biography on the website.
He is a member of the support staff as “Director of Player Morale,” and his description talks about his love for playing in the sand and making new friends. He is also recognized for his features on an ESPN broadcast and the NCAA Volleyball social media.
The 5-year-old pup earned his five minutes of fame attending every practice and traveling with the team to attend away games. Herc is an easy traveler, usually just curling up and falling asleep under the seat on planes, Connor said.
With so much of his time spent with his teammates, he has become accustomed to liking people more than other dogs and struggles to be away from Connor.
“When we play games and when I have practice, he doesn’t like it as much because I have to be at least 10 feet away from him at all times,” she said.
Herc’s teammates don’t like to be too far from him either, and as Connor finishes up her final season with the Mustangs, she feels like Herc’s absence will change the team dynamic.
“I don’t know what they’re going to do next year without him,” she said.
If there was a good final season for Herc to have, however, it would be this one. The team has had a consistently strong record, with Connor recently named a semifinalist for American Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Year.
For the remainder of his time, Herc plans to sit on the sidelines cheering on Connor and all his favorite teammates. When he’s not watching volleyball, he can be found eating peanut butter, chasing shadows and showcasing all his adventures on his Instagram page.
This story originally appeared in the May printed edition of Mustang News. Check out more stories from the issue here.