Cal Poly Mustangs women’s volleyball team secured a spot in the Big West Championship Final for the second consecutive year after defeating Long Beach State 3-1 (25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 25-17) on Friday night in Long Beach, California.
The Mustangs’ win was marked by strong defensive play and an outstanding offensive showing from Chloe Leluge. The team now holds a record of 24-7 overall and 14-4 in the Big West Conference.
In the opening set, Cal Poly built an early lead before Long Beach State rallied to tie. The Mustangs’ defense played a key role with four total blocks. Charlotte Kelly and Kendall Beshear each had three block assists, including the decisive block that ended the set at 25-22.
Long Beach State responded in the second set with a 7-2 run that prompted an early timeout from Cal Poly. Annabelle Thalken led a comeback for the Mustangs as they tied the score at 17 during a six-point streak. However, Long Beach State managed to take the set 25-23.
The third set featured twelve ties as both teams traded points. Leluge hit .533 for the match and contributed alongside Thalken, Emma Fredrick, and Beshear to secure a narrow 25-23 win for Cal Poly.
In the fourth set, Cal Poly took control early. Beshear’s serving resulted in two consecutive aces during a crucial run. Elif Hurriyet led defensively with 18 digs while solid blocking limited Long Beach State’s offense. The match concluded on a service error by Long Beach State, giving Cal Poly a 25-17 victory.
Leluge finished with a match-high 17 kills. Thalken and Fredrick each added 15 kills while Beshear contributed ten kills, three aces, and three blocks. Setter Bullis recorded 51 assists as Cal Poly posted a .302 hitting percentage as a team.
With this victory, Cal Poly advances to face top-seeded UC Davis in Saturday’s championship final at 5 p.m., competing for an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
