For the first time in seven years, Cal Poly Volleyball will take on the reigning national champion.
Saturday, Aug. 29, the Mustangs take on 2025 national champion Texas A&M at the Texas A&M Invitational in College Station. Throughout the weekend, Cal Poly will also compete against Grand Canyon University and Arkansas State.
“I was super hyped [when Texas A&M was on our schedule] because it’s just a very proud moment,” junior libero Elif Hurriyet said. “I feel like we earned it to play them and this is a great opportunity for us to test ourselves and show what we can do.”
The last time Cal Poly competed against the reigning national champion was in 2019. Stanford won the 2018 NCAA Tournament, and the Mustangs faced them in the second round of the 2019 tournament, ultimately losing three sets to zero. Mirroring their match against the Aggies, Cal Poly played Stanford in their home gym, Maples Pavilion.
The Aggie Outlook
Last season, the Aggies entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed in their region and brought the championship home.
Under the leadership of the 2025 AVCA Division 1 National Coach of the Year Award recipient, Jamie Morrison, the Aggies are ranked No. 8 in the current AVCA rankings.Â
With three games under their belt, the Aggies have only won their exhibition match against Baylor and lost both matches in the AVCA First Serve.
The team has eight returners, including 2025 starters Kyndal Stowers and Addi Applegate.
Stowers is a junior outside hitter who was a standout last season with 385 kills and earned the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player award. However, due to a back injury she sustained during warm-ups at their 2026 opener, Stowers likely won’t play in the match.
Despite the absence of Stowers, the Aggies will still have a powerful front row with players like outside hitter Natalie Ring and middle blocker Kaia Castle.
Ring is a 5th-year outside hitter who previously played at Marquette University and earned a spot on the 2026 AVCA Player of the Year Watch List. Throughout both games in the AVCA First Serve, Ring has gotten 24 kills and six blocks.
Castle is a junior transfer from Ohio State, where she broke the university’s single-match block record with 15 blocks. In the AVCA First Serve matches, she tallied eight blocks and seven kills.
When it comes to the back row, there is competition among the roster. While sophomore returner Applegate tallied 173 digs last season, she is competing against freshman Gabi Rodriguez for the libero position.
Rodriguez is a freshman libero from Texas. She was the No. 2 libero in Prep Volleyball’s 2026 class and has appeared in all three matches this season, racking up 18 digs against Louisville.
The Mustang Mindset
After coming off their Sweet 16 run, the Mustangs are ready to take on the national champions. Instead of going into this match with a load of pressure on their backs, they are looking to play with joy and intention.
“I’m more excited because when you’re the underdog, the pressure is more on the other side rather than us,” Hurriyet said. “We’ve been showing how well we did when we were the underdogs, and if we just get up there, play our game and have fun with it, I think we can achieve whatever we want.”
Hurriyet helped lead the team on their historic run last season as the starting libero and accumulated 344 digs throughout the season.
It will be up to her and the blockers at the net to slow down the Aggies’ hits and the pace of the game.
“We do a lot of film so we’re going to have a better understanding of what the hitters are going to do, and I think that’s the thing that makes me feel most at ease,” Hurriyet said.
The starting middle-blocker position is a competitive spot in the Cal Poly lineup. There are five contenders, including returning players Chloe Leluge, Charlotte Kelly, Katy Foley, Breklyn Pulling, who just came off an injury, and newcomer Teagan Cooling. This invitational will give fans a first look at the position’s top candidates.
From testing the lineup to ironing out any kinks, the Mustangs are looking to use this match as a stepping stone for the rest of their season.
“I don’t think a lot of people or teams get to play against national champions, so I’m super excited for it,” Hurriyet said.