Over 1,400 fans piled in to Mott Athletics Center across Sept. 26 and 27, supporting Cal Poly Volleyball in their conference opening games.
The Mustangs (11-3, 2-0 Big West) went 2-0 on the weekend, their first matches against Big West opponents CSU Northridge and CSU Bakersfield. The victories pushed their winning streak to eight straight games.
Their offense secured 86 kills over the two games and kept them at No. 17 in the country in hitting percentage.
Putting the Big West on notice
Kicking off conference play on Friday, the Mustangs swept CSUN in three tightly contested sets.
The game was nothing short of competitive with 13 ties in set two. All three sets finished within five points.
Racking up 13 kills on her own, junior outside hitter Emma Fredrick was a major contributor to the team’s 44 kills and .290 hitting percentage. Following closely behind was sophomore outside hitter Kendall Beshear with 12 kills and an impressive hitting percentage of .462.
On the defensive end, Fredrick and sophomore libero Elif Hurriyet collected 15 digs each which resulted in the Mustangs earning 51 digs, beating CSUN who secured 44.
“We just played consistent and energized volleyball throughout the weekend,” Hurriyet said. “I think we did a great job as a team as well.”
Continuing conference play on Saturday, the Mustangs kept their winning momentum in a commanding sweep of CSUB, not allowing them to gain more than 16 points in any of the three sets.
The Mustangs reigned victorious with the first set resulting in a score of 25-13, the second being 25-16, and the winning set finishing 25-14.
The Mustangs’ defense was off the charts as they kept CSUB at a .063 hitting percentage. Hurriyet and redshirt senior setter Emme Bullis led the defense with 10 digs each.
“I think when we are good defensively like we were tonight, holding teams under .100, you’re very pleased with what’s going on,” head coach Caroline Walters said.
The offense did not fall short in this game either as the team had a hitting percentage of .364 with offensive leader Beshear earning 11 kills and a .368 hitting percentage.
Freshman outside hitter Aveya Stone secured the game winning point as her powerful hit bounced off the CSUB’s blockers hands into out of bounds territory.
“It was awesome,” Stone said. “Love my setter Samantha Callahan for sending me that fire ball.”
Conference play continues
The Mustangs will look to carry the winning streak into their first Big West trip as they continue conference play on the road.
“So proud of our response overall for the weekend,” Walters said. “We had really consistent play both offensively and defensively.”
Last season, the Mustangs clinched the Big West regular season conference championship beating both UC Riverside and UC Davis.
This season, Walters wants the team to approach every match like it is the championship.
“There’s nothing more exciting than playing for an NCAA tournament bid in late November,” Walters said. “I think a big step forward for this program is not being satisfied with a regular season championship and staying hungry as we enter the Big West championship.”
The Mustangs continue their Big West conference journey with their first regular season away game. They will face UC San Diego on Friday, Oct. 3 at 6 p.m.