Watch the video feature >>>
Head coach Caroline Walters didn’t expect to predict a Sweet 16 run on the first day of practice of her seventh season at the helm of Cal Poly women's volleyball. But when she walked into the gym that morning, Walters felt something different. The 2024 campaign ended in the Big West Championship final. The Mustangs had just lost a key middle blocker, and the team faced a choice in 2025—dwell on what was gone or figure it out. 
 

“It was very much, we’re gonna figure this out,” Walters said. “I remember looking at (former Cal Poly associate head coach/current Nevada head coach) Jason Borchin and saying, this group could go to a Sweet 16.” 
 

It sounded bold, even to her. But she meant it. And months later, Cal Poly was exactly where she envisioned—back on the national stage for the first time since 2007, carrying a spirit defined by grit, joy and belief. 

  

Walters points to two moments that demonstrated this team was different. The first was that opening double days practice, when a true freshman, Charlotte Kelly, walked into the coaches’ office and declared, “I don’t want people to think this is going to be a throwaway season just because Breklyn (Pulling) went down.” 
 

Kelly then backed it up every day. “That to me truly was what made this so special and unique,” Walters said. 
 

The second moment came in the very first set of the season against Minnesota. “Our defensive energy, we’re flying all over the court. We’re transitioning well, we’re siding out really, really well,” she said. “We didn’t end up winning that match, but what I saw in that set, I’m like, OK, we’re gonna be able to compete with a lot of teams.” 
 

From there, Cal Poly learned to sustain that level not just for a set, but for entire matches. The confidence carried them through a season that would become historic. 

  

When Cal Poly clinched its first Sweet 16 appearance in 17 years, Walters thought back to the promises the staff makes in recruiting—promises not of playing time or guaranteed titles, but of a culture where athletes are treated the right way, taught the intricacies of the game, and asked to compete for championships. 
 

“It was a perfect blend of people,” she said. “They all have different stories, and how they got here is all very different.” 
 

That blend included players like Emma Fredrick, who didn’t have many offers out of high school and ended up playing six rotations in the Sweet 16. “Those are the kids that come in and have a lot of success for us,” Walters said. “They’re the ones that have something to prove.” 
 

What made the run even more meaningful was that every player on the floor in the Sweet 16 had been developed at Cal Poly from the start. “These aren’t kids that are transferring in,” Walters said. “They’re kids that we have developed over the course of their career. As a coach, that makes me very proud.” 

  

Cal Poly’s postseason identity was built on resilience and trust. Two sophomores, Kendall Beshear and Chloe Leluge, embodied that spirit. 
 

“Those two are the epitome of what you want out of an athlete when things are going good, but almost more importantly, when things aren’t going well,” Walters said. “They have smiles on their face constantly. They’re truly enjoying what they do, and they understand that mistakes allow for learning and growth.” 
 

That mindset became the team’s north star. “A lot of people talk about expectations,” Walters said. “We don’t have them. We have standards. We want to play good volleyball. We have standards for how we want to respond as teammates.” 
 

It was a philosophy the players bought into completely. “Expectation leads to frustration,” Beshear said. “We’re just here to play volleyball. No matter what name is on the other side of the net, it doesn’t matter because we’re going to play our volleyball.” 
 

That approach fueled the team through the NCAA tournament, where Cal Poly knocked off seeded teams No 5 BYU and then No 4 Southern California at USC's Galen Center to became the only unseeded program left standing. In fact, the 2025 Big West champion Mustangs can now boast as the only unseeded team to advance to the NCAA third round since the seeding format changed in 2022.   
 

“We’re representing people who didn’t have a number by their name,” Beshear said. “We were just happy to be there, and I think that’s what’s so cool.” 

  

The Big West Championship became another defining moment. Cal Poly didn’t win the regular season title, but peaked when it mattered most. 
 

“I got the most emotional after beating UC Davis,” Walters reflected on the finale. “That was the moment I looked at my staff with tears in my eyes and was like, this is what we told this group they could do if they trusted us.” 
 

The run continued through the 2025 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship, where each win extended their time together. “Each win allowed us another day,” Walters said. “The win over USC allowed us another five days together with the travel to Kentucky and experiencing a Sweet 16.” 
 

The national spotlight followed. “Our Instagram following went up like almost 10,000 people during those few weeks,” Walters said. “There were a lot of new eyes on us because of the way this team plays volleyball—the joy they play with, the support they give one another. They value each other’s successes more than their own.” 
 

That joy was on full display inside Mott Athletics Center, where Cal Poly went 15-0 at home on the season and extended its home winning streak to 19. 

“Mott is just something so indescribable,” Beshear said. “The community rallies behind us. The band is so loud and fun, and after games there are little girls who want to meet us. We’ve built this relationship of communication, celebration and fun.” 

 

Cal Poly finished the season ranked No. 21 in the nation—the program’s highest final ranking since 2007. Walters sees it as a foundation, not a finish line. 

“It’s a place where people want to be,” she said. “They want to work hard, they want to develop as athletes, and we want that consistency. We’re gonna find the right kid that cares more about this place and the program than themselves.” 
 

For sophomore middle blocker Chloe Leluge, who was named Big West Championship MVP, the season was a reminder that the program’s identity is rooted in defense and collective energy.  
 

“There was a lot of media attention around our excitement and smiles,” Leluge said. “Our culture is scrappy, positive, authentic.” 
 

As for Walters, she hopes the season is remembered for more than the wins. 
 

“I hope ultimately we’re remembered for playing the game the right way,” she said. “For playing it with love, for playing it with joy, for playing it aggressively. And I hope we’re remembered for doing more with less. We love that about this place.” 
 

With a core returning and a standard firmly in place, Cal Poly women’s volleyball has shown what’s possible when belief, joy and hard work align—and why a simple standard can carry a program to unforgettable heights.