No. 10 Volleyball’s Non-Conference Dominance Continues, Sweeps Western Washington
ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Cal Poly Pomona volleyball continued to dominate non-conference competition on Saturday, sweeping Western Washington to improve to 6-1 on the season. Since the start of the 2021 season, the Broncos are a staggering 26-3 in regular season non-conference matches, good for an .897 winning percentage in such games. Furthermore, those three losses all came against opponents that had received votes in that week's AVCA Top 25 poll.
"We knew we had a strong team returning and by design, scheduled some of the toughest teams we have faced in any preseason in our program's history," said head coach Traci Dahl. "Competing and beating a few AVCA Top 25 ranked teams has without a doubt prepared us for our CCAA schedule. We have the privilege of being members of one of the elite Division II conferences in the nation."
Similar to Friday night, the Broncos controlled every facet of the game against Western Washington. CPP's .383 attack percentage was the highest since November 10th, 2023, swinging at a higher clip just five times last season. Just like Simon Fraser, the Vikings struggled to see their attacks hit the floor with just a .063 attack percentage for the match.
Senior Madison Novak was the lone Bronco to rack up double-digit kills with 10, her third consecutive match doing so. The Lancaster native had just two attack errors in 13 attempts, good for a career-best .615 attack percentage when registering at least 10 kills.
Caitie Mueller also collected a career-high eight kills, to go along with 22 assists and five digs. Avery Percival led the team on defense with 12 digs, as she inches closer to cracking the CPP Top 10 list – needing just 34 more to take sole possession of 10th place.
Samantha Campion and Sarah Ybarra continued to help on both sides of the ball, each registering seven kills with at least six digs.
The Broncos won the first two sets without a sweat, taking each by a score of 25-12. The third set proved to be more challenging, but CPP was able to claim seven of the final eight points to take home the 25-22 win.
"We are thrilled to open up CCAA play with a 6-1 record," continued Dahl. "The Broncos have been working extremely hard these past couple weeks to improve in every position. The tough competition has contributed to our growth as a group and has prepared us for what is to come."
CWU Invitational All-Tournament Team
- Emily Elliott, Cal State LA (MVP)
- Haley Roundtree, Cal State LA
- Ashley Robinson, Cal State San Bernardino
- Jordan Cherniss, Cal State San Bernardino
- Madison Novak, Cal Poly Pomona
- Caitie Mueller, Cal Poly Pomona
- Brooke Dexter, Simon Fraser
- Macyn Unger, Simon Fraser
- Devyn Oestreich, Western Washington
- Emma Daoud-Hebert, Central Washington
- Hannah Stires, Central Washington
Up Next
The Broncos will open up CCAA play next Friday, September 20th, in their first home match of the 2024 season. They will face rival Cal State San Bernardino, the first time the two have played one another at Kellogg Arena since October of 2022. You can also watch the game on FloSports, sign up here.
Bronco Bits
- The Broncos are now 3-5 all-time against Western Washington. Saturday was their first win against the Vikings since the 2005 season.
- Traci Dahl is now 83-36 (.696) as head coach of the Broncos.
- Cal Poly Pomona is an impressive 26-3 (.897) in non-conference matches since the start of the 2021 season.
Latest All Athletics News
- Andriy Budnyy Joins CPP Men’s Soccer as Assistant CoachAndriy Budnyy joined the Cal Poly Pomona men's soccer program earlier this month, it was announced by head coach Matt O'Sullivan. Budnyy comes to CPP after spending five years with nearby rival Azusa Pacific's men's soccer program.
- Tara Oper Named CCAA Player of the WeekTara Oper's first goal of the season was a huge one as she has been selected as the CCAA Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week, for the week of Sept. 9-15.
- No. 21 Cal Poly Pomona Blanks Local Rival Azusa Pacific in Home Opener, 2-0POMONA, Calif. - The No. 21 Cal Poly Pomona men's soccer team scored early in each half and topped area foe Azusa Pacific University, 2-0, in its 2024 home opener Saturday night at Kellogg Stadium.
- Broncos Roll Over Warriors, 5-1, in First Road Match of Season to Remain Perfect at 4-0SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Cal Poly Pomona women's soccer team scored three first-half goals and routed Westmont College, 5-1, in non-conference action on Saturday afternoon at Thorrington Field.
- No. 10 Broncos Sweep Simon FraserThe Broncos picked up their third sweep of the season on Friday night, defeating Simon Fraser 3-0 to improve to 5-1 to start the 2024 campaign. Cal Poly Pomona won each set in convincing fashion with set scores of 25-20, 25-16, and 25-15.
- No. 10 Volleyball Stunned by Central Washington in Fifth SetThe Cal Poly Pomona volleyball team lost in heartbreaking fashion to Central Washington on Thursday night, taking their first loss to fall to 4-1 on the season. The No. 10 ranked Broncos were just one point away from claiming the match, before the Wildcats fired off seven consecutive points to take the decisive fifth set.