For the second consecutive year, Cal Poly Volleyball has advanced to the Big West Tournament Championship. 

It was match point for Cal Poly when CSU Long Beach sailed a serve over the net and out of bounds, sending the stadium into cheers as the Mustangs took down the hosts to advance to the championship match.  

In a four-set match, Cal Poly defeated Long Beach State 3-1 on Friday, giving themselves an opportunity to claim the Big West Women’s Volleyball Championship title for the first time since 2019. 

With one player having a career high game, two players achieving a double-double and the team advancing to the championship, the game was one for history books.  

“A lot of respect for Long Beach,” head coach Caroline Walters said in a postgame press conference. “We’ve had really fun battles over the years, especially in this gym. So happy that it’s over and happy to be on to the next tomorrow.”  

Back and forth play 

With a total of 20 ties and 10 lead changes, the match was nothing short of competitive. Set one opened with a Long Beach kill and Cal Poly responded with one of their own to set the tone early.  

Both teams’ defenses were working overtime, holding their opponent to their lowest hitting percentage of the night in set one. The Mustangs went the extra mile, holding the Beach to a .027 hitting percentage and not allowing them to earn more than nine kills throughout the entire set. 

“I’m very proud of the way our passers settled in,” Walters said. 

The set continued to be neck-and-neck as neither team ever had more than a four-point advantage, with Cal Poly’s longest run being just 3-0.

Redshirt senior outside hitter Annabelle Thalken and sophomore middle blocker Chloe Leluge continued their dominant seasons, blocking a Long Beach State attempt to win the set with a score of 25-22.  

Cal Poly will take on No. 1 seed UC Davis in the final match on Saturday evening. Credit: Mia Dahlgren / Mustang News

The Mustangs’ momentum did not translate into the first half of set two, as the Beach gained an early lead of 7-2.  

“When we were down, we were just talking to each other, like, we’re going to work to get energy in one point at a time,” redshirt senior setter Emme Bullis said.  

Although Cal Poly played a game of catch-up going on a 6-0 run and eventually evening out the score at 17-17, it was not enough to claim set two against the Beach.  

Despite the 25-23 loss, the Mustangs out-hit the Beach by five kills and kept up with their defense only falling behind by two digs.  

Set three was the closest of the night, as both teams achieved their best hitting percentage and kill percentages with each statistic being over .500% and Cal Poly earning a .606 kill percentage.  

“An incredible set three of volleyball,” Walters said. “I think it was one of the best sets of the whole season.” 

Both Thalken and junior outside hitter Emma Fredrick were among three players who notched double digits in kills during the third set earning 15 kills each, while Leluge captained the offense with a career-high 17 kills. 

“As a middle I really rely a lot on the setter and the passes and both of that was there tonight, so it really helps me get those kills,” Leluge said. 

Even with Cal Poly’s strong offense, there was no lack of competitive atmosphere in the third set as it consisted of 12 ties, over half of the match’s total.  

To finish off the set, Bullis pulled out her signature setter dump, catching the Beach off guard and securing the 25-23 win.  

Commanding Final Set 

Cal Poly carried their winning momentum into the fourth set, dominating the Beach and eliminating the nail-biting neck-and-neck scores.  

While Long Beach scored the first point of the set, that was the first and only time they would hold the lead. Cal Poly obtained a 7-3 lead and never looked back.  

Sophomore outside hitter Kendall Beshear joined the double-digit club earning three kills in the set securing 10 total. She also achieved a double-double alongside Fredrick as they both reached double digits in kills and digs. 

“[Beshear] cheers so hard for her teammates and so hard in general, it’s just great to play next to her and really encouraging,” Thalken said. 

The Mustangs secured the 25-17 win after capitalizing on the Beach’s seven errors throughout the set.

“Caroline would always say we want to be our best at the Big West Tournament, and I think this whole season has been working up to that, and it’s so cool seeing that come into fruition,” Leluge said. 

The Mustangs will look to bring home the Big West title as they take on No. 1 seed UC Davis in the championship match Saturday night at 5 p.m.