Kentucky players were recognized at Rupp Arena after winning the SEC Tournament. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Cal Poly coach Caroline Walters admitted Wednesday that her team had caught “a little bit of traction” on social media for the joy and passion it played with to upset 5-seed BYU and 4-seed USC in consecutive five-set marathons in a 24-hour span to advance to this afternoon’s NCAA Tournament regional semifinal against host Kentucky, the nation’s No. 2 team overall.
Cal Poly is the lowest seed remaining in the Sweet Sixteen and one of only two mid-major teams still playing.
“The reason we are doing what we do is we like to think we treat our kids the right way and provide them with an environment to play free and play happy,” Walters said Wednesday. “That also starts with having hard conversations with them and making sure we are transparent and authentically ourselves.”
Cal Poly (27-7) is making its seventh Sweet 16 appearance but first since 2007. The team’s 27 wins are the most under Walters and the school’s most since 2017.
This marks the program’s seventh Sweet 16 appearance overall and its second under the current 64-team format, with the last third-round trip occurring in 2007. The Mustangs’ 27 wins are the most under Head Coach Caroline Walters and the program’s highest total since 2017.
Walters knows Kentucky, which has won 24 straight matches, is an “incredible” team.
“They are highly athletic in every position, an incredible libero, great setter, great pins. It is going to be tough to stop,” Walters said. “We know we want to be aggressive from the service line. Aggressive really has been that word through this stretch of matches that has been the thing we are clinging to the most.
“I would say we are going to have to have an aggressive style of play both offensively and defensively to slow them down. That is the word these guys have heard. We are not going to stop them, we cannot get frustrated with the swings here and there. We are not going to stop them, just have to slow them down. We have to play percentages and take care of some of the easier stuff and hopefully transition well at some of the high percentages within that. Then just slow down and be OK giving up some things as well.”
Cal Poly has won four straight tournament games counting the Big West Tournament and has one of the nation’s most efficient offenses. It ranks 18th in hitting percentage (.278) after 13 consecutive weeks in the top 25.
Chloe Leluge ranks 36th nationally with a .383 hitting percentage. A true two-way middle blocker, she co-leads the team and the conference with 130 total blocks. She had just one error on 57 attacks in the Big West Championship when she was named tournament MVP.
“Personally, and maybe this applies to the team, but these last games it is like every game could be your last match. That is really what lights that fire. I just feel a lot of gratitude to be able to play for this long and I want to keep that going. I think that is what really helps us,” Deluge said.
“I think our brand of volleyball is just loving the game. I think there are just a lot of times where maybe there is a bad error or something crazy and funny. Everyone comes in the middle and laughs it out and goes back and plays. That brand of volleyball where everyone is having a good time and happy to be there, that circles back to we don’t know if this is our last match just appreciate it for what it is. Coming into this tournament, every match could be our last match. We are happy to be here and play the sport we love.”
Outside hitter Kendall Beshear says her team feels “confident” going into the Kentucky match.
“They are going to get their big moments and they are going to get their big swings and can we slow them down,” she said.
Setter Emme Bullis knows her team has to be “relentless” against Kentucky.
“We are peaking at the right time and we are just playing with no expectation and just playing with joy and working hard on every single point. That is our identity and who we are. It has gotten us this far and we have to keep going,” Bullis said. “We just play relentlessly together throughout the whole match and relentlessly defensively and offensively, all of that. We have key words we talk about before the game and relentlessness is the word that stands out to me.”
