4-5,0-0Big West
Arizona State
9-2,0-0Big 12
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona St. | 25 | 25 | 21 | 21 | 15 | 3 |
| Cal Poly | 20 | 19 | 25 | 25 | 11 | 2 |
Mustangs Fall Short of Comeback Effort Versus No. 12 Arizona State
9/19/2026 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The Cal Poly volleyball team rallied from a two-set deficit to force a decisive fifth frame but ultimately fell to Arizona State 3-2 (20-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-25, 11-15).
On Friday evening inside Mott Athletics Center, the Mustangs (4-5) dropped the hard-fought non-conference match to the No. 12 Sun Devils (9-2) despite a spirited rally that saw them win the third and fourth sets.
The Mustangs found themselves in an early hole, dropping the first two sets as Arizona State's attack found its rhythm. Cal Poly trailed 2-0 before responding emphatically in the third set, hitting .542 as a team to keep the match alive.
The Mustangs carried that momentum into the fourth set, where they hit .515 with 17 kills and zero attack errors to even the match at two sets apiece. The fifth set remained tight early, but Arizona State pulled away late to secure the victory.
Cal Poly's offense finished with 60 kills on 138 attempts, hitting .304 as a team. Kayla Murdoch paced the offense with a match-high and career-best 20 kills on 31 swings, hitting .613 while adding two block assists.
Emma Fredrick contributed a double-double with 13 kills and 11 digs, while Kendall Beshear added her own second consecutive double-double (fourth of the season) with 11 kills and 10 digs. Alexis Haury provided 31 assists, and Samantha Callahan chipped in 19 assists of her own off the bench.
Defensively, Cal Poly recorded 42 digs and 11 total blocks. Charlotte Kelly co-led the blocking effort with five block assists alongside sophomore Aveya Stone in a breakout performance, while Breklyn Pulling added four total blocks.
Chloe Leluge, still limited due to a prior injury, provided a refreshing spark off the bench with six kills on seven attempts (.714) and two block assists. Elif Hurriyet defended the back row with eight digs.
The Mustangs take a one-day break in the SLO Classic before returning Sunday to host No. 8 Stanford, 1-1 in this tournament after an opening loss to the Sun Devils and Friday victory over Santa Clara, at 3 p.m. on Sunday to wrap the tournament and non-conference slate.
