The Cal Poly girls’s volleyball crew is dancing into the Candy 16 and into the nationwide highlight after an inconceivable NCAA Match run that’s captured the hearts of followers close to and much.
The Mustangs, unseeded coming into the match, shocked USC in Los Angeles final week to maintain their postseason dream alive.
“Simply pure happiness and pleasure for one another and the way far we now have made it as a result of we weren’t anticipated to make it this far,” redshirt Emme Bullis stated. “It’s sort of cool since you really feel just like the Cinderella crew in a means.”
Proper now, Bullis is second all-time for profession assists in NCAA historical past.
Following their first two match victories, Head Coach Caroline Walters says this system has skilled a surge in consideration.
“It’s insane,” Walters stated. “I checked out our Instagram final evening and I feel we’ve added 5,000 followers…and it’s solely going to maintain including.”
Gamers say the thrill has even spilled over to TikTok, the place strangers are posting movies in regards to the Mustangs’ match run.
Cal Poly’s success is resonating within the San Luis Obispo neighborhood, particularly with native highschool volleyball gamers who now see a small, mid-major crew excelling on the game’s largest stage.
“I feel it’ll simply carry extra reputation to not simply the large groups, however even smaller applications and highschool groups like us,” SLO Excessive College sophomore Hazel Williams stated.
Williams is part of the native membership program ran by Coach Walters and her gamers, 805 Elite.
The timing couldn’t be higher for the game. Girls’s volleyball is already using a wave of progress, with USA Volleyball reporting a 40% improve in women ages 11–18 enjoying membership volleyball between 2013–14 and the summer time of 2024.
“Reputation has undoubtedly elevated rather a lot,” SLO Excessive College senior Maddie Immoos stated. “We’re having an enormous bounce in ability stage, which is clearly nice. And I feel Cal Poly’s a part of that — it’s simply so inspiring.”
Walters says the second is particular for her gamers and for this system.
“They really feel necessary and they need to. They’ve labored actually, actually laborious for this second,” she stated. “To be the one unseeded crew left within the Candy 16 and considered one of solely two mid-majors is one thing we’re all extremely pleased with and have a whole lot of gratitude for.”
The Mustangs face the top-seeded Kentucky Wildcats on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. in Lexington. The match shall be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.
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