Cal Poly Beach Volleyball Ranked 13th in AVCA Preseason Poll

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Coming off its third straight Big West championship and NCAA Tournament appearance last year, the Cal Poly beach volleyball program has been ranked No. 13 team in the country in the 2023 American Volleyball Coaches Association Preseason Poll released Tuesday. This marks the fifth straight year the Mustangs have been ranked inside the top 15 of the AVCA Preseason Poll. Cal Poly is the second-highest ranked Big West school behind Hawai'i who is ranked No. 10. Long Beach State is the other Big West school in the rankings at No. 14. UCLA, Florida State, TCU, USC, and LSU round out the top five. USC is the defending national champion after beating Florida State in last year's national championship match. The Mustangs, who will be seeking their fourth straight Big West title this year, will have a fairly new looking team in 2023. Despite return 10 players from last year's team, only eight of those players will be available to play this season. Head coach Todd Rogers, who is entering his eighth season at the helm of the program and is coming off winning his third consecutive Big West Coach of the Year award, welcomes eight newcomers to this year's team, six freshmen and two transfers. Returning this year is highlighted by last year's No. 2 pairing of senior Jayelin Lombard and sophomore Piper Ferch. Last season, they both earned First Team All-Big West honors after finishing with a 22-18 record. Lombard heads into her final season ranked fourth all-time in program history for career wins and is poised to move into the top three this season. Other returners this season include junior Piper Naess who won 16 matches last season and senior Delaney Peranich who won six matches last season. Among the newcomers include graduate student Brooke Golik, who spent the last four years playing on the women's soccer team at SMU. She has made the switch to beach volleyball this spring after playing it throughout her youth through high school during which time she was an accomplished player on the sand. Cal Poly will open its season Saturday, Feb. 25 in Tallahassee, Fla. against No. 19 South Carolina and No. 2 Florida State. Throughout the season, the Mustangs will face 14 of the 20 teams who are ranked in the AVCA Preseason Poll. There are four home events this year at Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex. The first is on March 8 with Santa Clara and Utah coming to town. Cal Poly will host all the teams in the Big West March 25-26. On April 1-2, the Mustangs will face UC Davis, Tulane, No. 20 Washington, and No. 11 Cal. On April 15-16, Cal Poly will host the fourth annual Center of Effort Beach Volleyball Challenge with seven of the top teams in the country gathering at Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex. Participating alongside the Mustangs in the event are No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 Florida State, No. 3 TCU, No. 4 USC, No. 7 LMU, No. 14 Long Beach State, and No. 17 Pepperdine. The Big West Championships will be held April 21-22 in Honolulu this year with the winner advancing to the NCAA Championships, which will once again be held in Gulf Shores, Ala. May 5-7.

Calendar

Cal Poly Beach Volleyball Ranked 13th in AVCA Preseason Poll

Players Mentioned

Piper Ferch

Brooke Golik

Jayelin Lombard

Piper Naess

Delaney Peranich

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