Summary

• Cal Poly volleyball reached its first NCAA Regional Semifinal since 2007 after back-to-back upsets over No. 5 BYU and No. 4 USC.
• The Mustangs now face top-seeded, host Kentucky on Thursday (3:30pm EST, ESPN2) — a daunting matchup, but one they enter with momentum and confidence

On Thursday, the Cal Poly Mustangs will take on the Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA Volleyball Regional Semifinals - otherwise known as the Sweet 16, in basketball. This is a big deal; for starters, Cal Poly hasn’t made it this far in the NCAAs since 2007. But also, in order to get here, Cal Poly had to defy expectations every step of the way.

How did the Mustangs get here?

They’re a good team. They might be the lowest seed still remaining in the NCAA tournament, and only one of two mid-majors still alive, but it was always going to be a mistake to underestimate them. With players like outside hitter Kendall Bashear, middle blocker Chloe Leluge, who posts a .383 hitting percentage, and Emme Bullis, who is No. 2 overall on Cal Poly’s career assists list (over 4,000), they come to every game with real, raw talent.

But they also have a doggedness and determination that helped lift them over the USC Trojans, a No. 4 seed, in a massive upset that opened the door to their first Sweet 16 appearance in almost 20 years. Cal Poly entered the match just one day after defeating No. 5 seed BYU in the third round, and like the previous one, they were not expected to win. But the Mustangs took the first two sets. The Trojans came back to win the third and the fourth, but the Mustangs eventually exploded ahead with the victory in the fifth set, breaking a 3-3 deadlock with a 12-4 run. The win was bolstered by junior outside hitter Emma Fredrick, who had a double-double with 17 kills and 17 digs, and sophomore outside hitter Beshear, who had 12 kills.

“That was an incredible performance by a group of people that love one another, that love this game, and that have committed to something bigger than themselves,” head coach Caroline Walters said after the game.

How can they stay alive?

Cal Poly has a tough task ahead of them. Kentucky is both a top seed and the host of the Sweet 16 matchup, and the Wildcats have only lost two matches this year, both to fellow No. 1-seeds. The teams last met in 2019 when Kentucky, then a No. 7-seed, was actually swept by Cal Poly. The odds are stacked a little differently this time, but the Mustangs have every reason to feel confident.

In addition to the excitement that lingers after thrilling upsets, Cal Poly has some great players and stats to boost their faith as they take on their toughest opponent yet. Chloe Leluge, a middle blocker and Big West Tournament MVP, is one of the team’s best weapons, with a .383 hitting percentage. Libero Elif Hurriyet also leads the team in digs per set (3.35) and has provided 91 assists this season. And middle blocker Charlotte Kelly plays with a lot more confidence than your average freshman.

What else should I know?

The game will be played at 3:30pm EST on Thursday, Dec. 11, and broadcast on ESPN2. Every perfect bracket in ESPN’s bracket challenge has already been destroyed by Cal Poly’s unexpected success, and you can expect this year’s Cinderellas to do everything they can to shake up expectations and stay alive.