Cal Poly Reverse Sweeps Saint Mary’s in Five-Set Stunner

Thursday, September 18

San Luis Obispo, CA

6:00 PM

7-3,0-0Big West

Saint Mary's

1-8,0-0WCC

Saint Mary's (CA)

Cal Poly

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Cal Poly Reverse Sweeps Saint Mary’s in Five-Set Stunner

9/18/2025 10:45:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — In a hard-fought, five-set thriller at Mott Athletics Center, the Cal Poly Mustangs volleyball team (7-3) mounted a dramatic comeback to defeat Saint Mary's 3-2 (13-25, 25-27, 25-17, 25-18, 15-13).

After dropping the first two sets, the Mustangs battled for 2 hours and 23 minutes to secure the victory in front of a home crowd.

The match began with a one-sided first set, which Saint Mary's took handily, 25-13. The Gaels' offense was nearly flawless, recording 18 kills against just two errors for a .471 hitting percentage, while Cal Poly struggled to find its rhythm with seven kills and four errors.

Cal Poly responded with grit in a marathon second set, pushing Saint Mary's to the brink before ultimately falling short, 27-25. Despite the loss, the Mustangs' attack improved significantly, notching 11 kills, and their blocking came alive to keep them competitive.

Refusing to go down quietly, Cal Poly turned the match around in the third set with a dominant 25-17 win. Their offense peaked with 13 kills and a .423 hitting percentage, while their serving produced three aces to seize control.

The momentum carried into the fourth set, where the Mustangs overpowered the Gaels 25-18. Cal Poly's attack was relentless, pounding 15 kills, and their net defense was stellar again, adding four more blocks.

The decisive fifth set was a tense back-and-forth affair, but Cal Poly held its nerve to clinch the match 15-13. Although the offense cooled to a .273 clip, key serves and blocks at critical moments, along with a final service error from Saint Mary's, sealed the comeback.

Reigning Big West Offensive Player of the Week Emma Fredrick led the team with 15 kills. Veteran Annabelle Thalken added 10 kills, and Kendall Beshear contributed her fourth double-double of the season with 13 kills and 12 digs, plus two service aces.

Setter Emme Bullis tallied 37 assists, and the team's defensive effort was highlighted by 11 total blocks. Charlotte Kelly led the way with six block assists, followed by Chloe Leluge (5), Thalken (4), Beshear (3), and Fredrick (2).

Cal Poly hosts No. 20 Utah at Mott Athletics Center on Friday at 6:00 p.m., following a neutral-site matchup at 1:30 p.m. that same day. The Utes will be Cal Poly's fifth Power Four opponent this season, after Minnesota, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and California.