Long Beach State
Mustangs to Face Host and No. 3 Seed Long Beach State in Semifinals
11/27/2025 8:30:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — After a long and grueling regular season, the Cal Poly Mustangs (23-7, 14-4 Big West) have earned their postseason charge into The Hawaiian Islands presents the 2025 Outrigger Big West Women's Volleyball Championship.
The Mustangs secured a second-place finish, clinching the No. 2 seed and the rewards that come with it: a first-round bye and an automatic berth in the Semifinals. This capped a historic regular season under Head Coach Caroline Walters, as the team's 23 wins marked its highest tally during her tenure, featuring a fourth consecutive season of 14 conference victories.
The tournament bracket narrowed Wednesday night. At the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid, No. 3 Long Beach State and No. 6 UC Irvine battled for the right to face Cal Poly, while No. 4 UC Santa Barbara took on No. 5 CSUN for a shot at top-seeded UC Davis. Both favored seeds swept their matches, setting the stage for Friday's semifinals. UC Davis clashes with UCSB at 3 p.m., followed by the Mustangs' showdown with Long Beach State at 6 p.m.
This sets up a high-stakes rubber match. The Mustangs and the Beach split their regular-season series, with each team defending its home court. The Mustangs will be confident, however, having most recently gotten the better of Long Beach State in a decisive sweep just a few weeks ago to clinch their Big West postseason berth.
History is also on the Mustangs’ minds. As the No. 1 seed in last season’s championship, Cal Poly knocked out No. 6 Long Beach State via a sweep in the conference semifinals and will look to repeat that result, even on the Beach's home floor.
The Mustangs ride a wave of individual accolades into the tournament. On Tuesday, the Big West announced six Mustangs among its all-conference honorees. The team was led by setter Emme Bullis and the versatile Kendall Beshear, who both earned First Team nods.
Bullis received her fourth career all-conference honor after a pair of honorable mentions in 2022-23 and a second-team placement last season. She also notched her third career season of 1,000-plus assists, becoming just the second Big West player to reach that mark this year, and tallied a double-double in Saturday's regular-season finale. Beshear was a dominant and versatile six-rotation player, serving as both a primary offensive weapon and a key defender.
They were joined by Chloe Leluge (Second Team), Annabelle Thalken (Honorable Mention), Emma Fredrick (Honorable Mention), and Charlotte Kelly (All-Freshman Team), rounding out the impressive haul of All-Big West honors.
Just last Friday, Cal Poly delivered its most dominant performance of 2025, sweeping Cal State Fullerton by a staggering 32-point margin to secure the No. 2 seed. Though they fell to UC Irvine in straight sets in the regular-season finale, the Mustangs are now fully focused on the postseason, where a championship and auto bid to the NCAA Tournament are the ultimate goals.
