Kicking off the 2026 SLO Classic, Cal Poly Volleyball hosted its first home match of the season on Sept. 17 against Santa Clara University. The Mustangs (4-4) entered the match looking to extend their 19-game home win streak that has carried over from the 2024 season.
Cal Poly saw its streak come to an end as it fell to the Broncos (4-8) in a tightly contested match, falling 3-2 to Santa Clara.
Cal Poly came out vigilant and hard-hitting in the first two sets. The entire match was a constant back-and-forth, with both teams fighting to gain momentum and an advantage over the other.
The Mustangs took the early lead, winning the first set 25-23. Cal Poly’s high energy and tenacity earned them a second set, again by the score of 25-23.
The third set began with Santa Clara taking an early lead of 3-0, setting the tone of being down but not out. Still with plenty of game to play, Cal Poly was able to tie the set multiple times, even taking a short lead of 11-9. However, the Broncos were able to strike back and retake the momentum after taking a brief timeout, then leading 17-15. Able to hold onto their lead, Santa Clara finished the set 25-20.
Set four began like the previous three, tightly competitive with momentum swaying. Once the Broncos gained a 15-11 lead, Cal Poly made a tremendous effort to come back and tie the set. They first tied at 16 points, then 17, and again at 18; a resilient set by the Mustangs to keep fighting, they eventually took a late lead at 22-20. Yet, it was not enough as Santa Clara took the set in a fierce battle, resulting in a 29-27 win.
The sets were tied 2-2, heading into the fifth and final set for a dramatic conclusion. In another seesaw set, Cal Poly found it difficult to gain an advantage. Their last chance came at a crucial timeout when Santa Clara was up 14-12. With two plays back on the court, the set ended at 15-13 with the hosts losing 3-2 in a reverse sweep.
A tight contest for the first home match of the season provided a remarkable 43 ties throughout the entire match. The Mustangs’ hitting percentage from the first two sets was good: .368 in the first and .400 in the second. However, in the losing sets they went as low as .207 in the third and .214 in the fifth. Meanwhile, besides their first set, the Broncos averaged over a .341 hitting percentage in each set.
A devastating loss for Cal Poly, this match still provided plenty of upside for growth for the rest of the season. Emma Fredrick led the Mustangs’ offense with a career-high 26 kills. Breklyn Pulling was also a bright spot as she played and started in her first home match back from injury, having 13 kills and an outstanding hitting percentage of .765.
“Excited to be back, being with the team on the court, surrounded by the environment, was all very exciting,” Pulling said.
Cal Poly Head Coach Caroline Walters emphasized how hard her team worked, recognizing that all four sets were played to deuce points, yet acknowledging that change was needed.
“The sets were very, very close; their opposite had a very good game and showed why she’s leading the nation in kills, having a career night,” Walters said. “However, we have to get better defensively… offensively we played well enough to win the match tonight; defensively we’ve got to clean some stuff up to slow people down.”
Now with a record of 4-4, the Mustangs will look to brush off the tough loss as the SLO Classic continues; the upcoming matches will prove to be challenging as they will face back-to-back top-12 opponents, including No. 12 Arizona State on Friday and No. 8 Stanford on Sunday.