Mustangs Rake in Conference Honors Highlighted by Walters, Stockham, and Pulling
11/27/2024 11:15:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — After arguably the most successful regular season in Head Coach Caroline Walters' tenure at the helm of Cal Poly (2019-present), the Mustangs gathered nine total All-Big West honors, which included two first team nods and one major award headlining the group.
I’m truly honored to receive the Big West Coach of the Year award and to have reached my 100th match victory this season, but these accomplishments aren’t about me. They reflect the incredible people I’ve been fortunate enough to surround myself with - my dedicated staff and the amazing athletes on our team. Their hard work, commitment, and support have made all the difference, and this is a collective achievement we all share.Head Coach Caroline Walters
Caroline Walters / Big West Coach of the Year
In her fifth full season as Cal Poly's head coach, Caroline Walters put together a season for the books. Under her leadership, the Mustangs not only clinched the top seed for the Big West Championships but also its first conference regular season title since 2018.
Walters' first title since taking over full-time in 2019 comes in the same season the revered head coach reached the coveted 100 career wins milestone.
Cal Poly ended the regular season as the only Big West team with 20+ overall wins in 2024, and this also marks the third straight campaign in which the Mustangs have earned 14 conference wins.
The Mustangs also became just one of a handful of schools in the NCAA Division I this season to stack up double-digit wins on the road.
Under Walters, Cal Poly paced the conference with a .252 team hitting percentage, which was subsequently 45th in the NCAA, while playing fantastic defense with opponents hitting a paltry .195 against the Mustangs.
Cal Poly was also second in the conference for kills per set (12.96), first for allowing just 1.79 blocks per set to opponents, fourth for team blocks (2.23 per set), and fourth for aces (1.55 per set).
Tommi has been the most consistent performing player in my 16 years at Cal Poly, and it brings me immense pride to see that the opposing Big West coaches recognize her talent as well. But beyond her remarkable achievements on the court, it’s the relationship we’ve built that I hold most dear. Tommi’s growth as a person and player has been an absolute joy to witness, and she’s one of the players whose impact will stay with me and this program forever.Head Coach Caroline Walters
Tommi Stockham / All-Big West First Team
The redshirt senior from Las Vegas, Nev. has been an absolute star for Cal Poly from the onset. The team’s undeniable ace hitter has been Cal Poly’s kills per set leader her entire four year career on campus.
With this honor, Stockham has been named to the All-Big West First Team four times, becoming just the 14th player in conference history and second Mustang to achieve the feat.
On Oct. 29, 2024, she became Cal Poly’s third-leading career kills leader in program history with a whopping 1,469 amassed and has since raised her career total to 1,573. Her 3.66 kills per set this season were good for second in the Big West.
Stockham tallied eight double-doubles this season, including the season opener when she unloaded on Sacramento State for 21 kills and 12 digs. Cal Poly was 17-6 this season when she hit at least 10 kills.
For her 32 kills in just six sets against Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine, while securing at least an appearance in the Big West Championship bracket at that point, Stockham earned Big West Offensive Player of the week on Nov. 18, 2024. That was her ninth career Big West weekly honor.
Breklyn’s ability to execute slides and her volleyball IQ transformed our offense, and it’s no exaggeration to say that her presence played a key role in us winning the regular season Championship. Before she arrived, we weren’t running many slides, but with her addition, we not only ran them more, we made them a huge part of our game plan.Head Coach Caroline Walters
Breklyn Pulling / All-Big West First Team
Her second yearly conference honor after earning a spot on the Big West All-Freshman Team last season at Cal State Bakersfield, the middle blocker transfer was an instant impact player for the Mustangs this season.
Pulling ended the regular season as Cal Poly's second-best and the conference's fifth-best player by hitting percentage (.349) while 6th for blocks (.98). Despite being a middle blocker, she was also the third-best Mustangs for kills (2.28).
Partly responsible for Cal Poly's 13 matches of double-digit team blocks, Pulling herself put up 102 total blocks and had a career-high eight against CSUN on Nov. 9, 2024.
In helping the Mustangs to a regular season title, Pulling enjoyed a pair of double-digit kill efforts (28 total) and nine total blocks in wins over UC Riverside and UC Davis.
She also reset her career-high kills in a single game during the five-set thriller against UC Riverside on Nov. 21, 2024 while tallying 16 kills.
Emme’s ability to make great decisions within our offensive game plan has been instrumental to our success this season. Her improvement as a defender is a direct result of the hard work she’s put in. But beyond the physical aspects of the game, I’m most proud of Emme’s development as a leader. Her growth in that role has had a significant impact on our team.Head Coach Caroline Walters
Emme Bullis / All-Big West Second Team
Cal Poly's go-to setter for the past three seasons, Bullis explored new heights in a career year, finishing the regular season with 10.26 assists per set, her highest single-season pace by a wide margin.
The 10.26 per-set rate ended the regular season as the NCAA's 37th best. She also earned three Big West Setter of the Week nods, bringing her career weekly honor total to nine.
Culminating with 89 total assists in the pair of matches that gave Cal Poly its regular season title, Bullis earned the final Setter of the Week award before postseason play
With 3,156 career assists to-date, Bullis is already 7th in Cal Poly history and remains on pace to potentially crack the top-3 in her senior season.
Bullis played in all 29 matches and 105 sets during the regular season, and even more impressively tallied at least 30 assists in all but three matches.
Ever the versatile player, Bullis was also third on the team for digs (228), fourth for blocks (52.0), and third for service aces (31).
Amy Hiatt will go down as one of the most selfless players I’ve ever coached. She’s played outside hitter, middle, and now opposite, approaching each with curiosity, determination, and a 'whatever the team needs' attitude. Her versatility and commitment to the team have been invaluable, and I’m incredibly proud of her becoming an All-Big West selection.Head Coach Caroline Walters
Amy Hiatt / All-Big West Honorable Mention
Since redshirting as a true freshman in 2019, Hiatt stayed with the program through the canceled 2020 COVID season and made her Cal Poly debut as a consistent starting hitter for the Mustangs in 2021. Since then, she has remained a rotational hitter but enjoyed a consistent starting role during her final year as a Mustang.
As a reliable option on the opposite side, Hiatt finished the season 7th in the conference for hitting percentage (.313), easily the most accurate season of her entire career. Hiatt exploded in the middle of the conference slate, bridging late October to early November with five double-digit kill efforts. She ended the season with the fourth most points (167.0) on the team. Hiatt was also the perfect blocking compliment to fellow honorable mention Chloe Leluge, putting up 64.0 total blocks.
Chloe Leluge / All-Big West Honorable Mention / Big West All-Freshman Team
One of three freshmen to make starts for the Mustangs this season, Leluge was an absolute difference maker as one of, if not the tallest member of the team in the middle. The 6-foot-3 middle blocker from Bend, Ore. enjoyed a first year that few around the Big West could have expected, leading the entire conference with a .372 hitting percentage while also tied in 4th for blocks (.99 per set). She received her first career weekly honor on Nov. 11, 2024 with Big West Freshman of the Week.
As one of the team's deadliest hitter, Leluge was also third on the team for kills (175) while hitting at least a pair of them in every single match she played, including three double-digit efforts. Her hitting percentage was good enough for 45th in the country. In the season's final, title-clinching win against UC Davis, Leluge totaled 13 kills and 8 blocks to match teammate Breklyn Pulling's single-match season high this year.
Elif Hurriyet / All-Big West Honorable Mention / Big West All-Freshman Team
Transplanting from one state to another is understandably tough, and going from one country to another is an even greater challenge. However, Hurriyet coming from a completely different continent and part of the world while making as smooth and quick of a transition as she did is nothing short of remarkable and inspiring. Hurriyet was a starting defensive specialist practically from the season opener and took little time in becoming the regular libero.
Highlighted by a single-match season and career high 28 digs against Long Beach State, tied for sixth most in a Big West contest this season, Hurriyet was 8th in the conference for digs (3.54 per set). She tallied double-digit dig totals in 21 matches, which included five matches of 20+ digs. She was also great at serving, 2nd on the team (34 aces) and tied for 6th in the conference (.33 per set). She received two weekly nods this year, both in the last five weeks, with Big West Defensive Player of the Week (10/28) and Big West Freshman of the Week (11/18).
Chloe and Elif bring so much joy to our practice gym and match day environment. Their love for volleyball and competition is always evident. Despite their age, their consistency both physically and mentally has been incredible, especially in the biggest moments like this past Saturday’s championship match. Seeing them rise to the occasion leaves me confident that the future of our program is heading in a great direction.Head Coach Caroline Walters
