Cal Poly Beach Volleyball Receives Program’s Highest Preseason Ranking
2/17/2026 2:32:00 PM | Beach Volleyball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Cal Poly beach volleyball made history Tuesday, receiving the program’s highest ever preseason ranking after coming in at No. 3 in the AVCA Preseason Rankings.
The Mustangs, who are coming off a second straight trip to the Semifinals of the NCAA Championship, received 366 total points and two first place votes in the poll. They come in just behind Stanford at No. 2 and UCLA at No. 1.
Last season, the Mustangs finished the season ranked No. 4 in the final AVCA rankings. They reached the semifinals of the NCAA Championships for a second year in a row, after matching the program record for wins in a season with 31.
Cal Poly will be led this year by three returning AVCA All-Americans and seven players who that earned All-Big West honors last year. They are highlighted by Erin Inskeep, Izzy Martinez, Logan Walter, Ella Connor, Quinn Perry, Elise Lenahan, and Maddy Byrne. Earlier this week, Inskeep and Connor were both named to the AVCA National Player of Year Award watchlist.
The Mustangs also added several talented newcomers, which include four talented Division I transfers. They brought in Ashleigh Adams from FAU and Julia Westby from Long Beach State, both of whom were AVCA All-Americans last season. They also bring in Bailey Showalter from USC with NCAA Championship experience. Peyton Dueck returns to Cal Poly after spending the last three years on the indoor volleyball team at UCLA. She played on the beach team at Cal Poly as a freshman in 2022, earning Second Team All-Big West honors.
Cal Poly kicks off the 2026 season at the Third Coast College Classic in Houston Friday with matches at 11 a.m. PT against Saint Mary’s and 3 p.m. PT against Houston Christian. They continued Saturday with Tarleton State at 6 a.m. PT and Southern Miss at 10 a.m. PT.
