Mustangs Close Regular Season This Weekend at Home

Friday, November 17

San Luis Obispo, Calif.

7 P.M.

UC Riverside

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Mustangs Close Regular Season This Weekend at Home

11/15/2023 4:37:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

WEEKLY NOTES (PDF)

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Cal Poly volleyball looks to finish off the regular season strong and potentially earn the No. 2 seed in next week's Big West Championships when playing its final two matches of the regular season at home this weekend.

The Mustangs (18-10, 12-4 BW), who have won seven of their last eight matches, will welcome UC Riverside to Mott Athletics Center Friday at 7 p.m. followed by the home finale Saturday against UC Davis at 8 p.m.

Friday's match will be streamed live on ESPN+. Saturday's match will not be streamed but will have live stats for fans to follow. Links to all those can be found on the schedule page.

Both of this weekend's matches are free admission for kids 13 and under. Anyone who goes to the Cal Poly football game on Saturday at 5 p.m. can also use that same ticket to get into Saturday's volleyball match for free.

Before the match on Friday, Cal Poly will also celebrate the career of libero Jolei Akima. For her career between Boise State and Cal Poly, Akima has racked up over 1,000 digs and 82 service aces in her collegiate career. This year, she leads the Mustangs in digs at 4.11 per set which ranks second in the Big West.

Cal Poly picked up two big wins last week over UC San Diego and Long Beach State to move into a three-way tie for second place in the Big West standings with Hawai'i and Long Beach State. If the Mustangs win both matches this weekend, there's a chance they earn the second seed in next week's Big West Championship if either Hawai'i loses one of their matches match Friday or Saturday.

ACE IN THE HOLE: Cal Poly has recorded 189 aces as a team this year which leads the Big West and ranks 38th in the country.

Tommi Stockham leads the Big West with 46 which also ranks 35th most in the NCAA.

DEFENSE IS THE CALLING CARD: So far this season, it has been Cal Poly's defense that has led them to several wins. As a team, they rank 85th in the nation and third in the Big West in blocks per set (2.30).

Individually, libero Jolei Akima is second in the Big West in digs per set at 4.11. Meanwhile, Kate Slack leads the Big West and is 35th in the country in blocks with 122.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE, CAL POLY STYLE: Cal Poly has had several players doing multiple things on the court and reach double-doubles.

Redshirt junior outside hitter Tommi Stockham leads the team with 10 double-doubles so far this season.

Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Lizzy Markovska is right behind her with nine double-doubles.

Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore setter Emme Bullis has four double-doubles through assists and digs.

YOUTH RULES: Cal Poly is one of four teams in Division I without a senior on its roster. The other three are Canisius, Baylor, and Syracuse.

UP NEXT: Following this week's matches, Cal Poly will head to Long Beach State next week for the first-ever Big West Championship which will be held at Long Beach State. The two first round matches are on Wednesday, Nov. 22 with the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 24 and the championship match on Saturday, Nov. 25 with the winner earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.