POMONA, Calif. – Cal Poly Pomona volleyball advanced to the NCAA West Region Finals on Friday night, defeating Point Loma three sets to one to advance to their third regional final in program history. It will also be their first regional finals appearance since 2008.
Redshirt freshman Landen Allison-Bullock emerged as a star for the Broncos in the semifinal win, leading the team with 17 kills while swinging at a .289 clip. The San Luis Obispo native chose an excellent time to have a career-game, setting personal bests in kills, points, and blocks to lead CPP past the Sea Lions.
Samantha Campion and Sarah Ybarra continued to shine, both posting double-double performances, similar to the quarterfinal game against Simon Fraser. They now have a combined 62 kills and 76 digs in just two matches in the NCAA Tournament, making them one of the most potent duos remaining in the bracket.
After dropping the first set by a close score of 25-22, the Broncos gained momentum to take the next three straight sets by scores of 25-18, 25-22, and 25-19. Point Loma was the only team in the entire regional Cal Poly Pomona had not faced yet this season, meaning CPP has now defeated six of the seven teams in this regional at some point during the Fall.
Though it was tightly contested, the Broncos ended up controlling every facet of the match, registering more kills, aces, blocks, assists, and digs than the Sea Lions, while swinging nearly 80 points higher.
Setter Caitie Mueller logged another 40-plus assist game, passing the 1,000 assist mark on the season for the third time in her Bronco career. Mueller's 3,170 career assists now ranks fourth all-time, as she passes Jasmine Davis (2006-09) on the list, while officially becoming the all-time CPP leader for assists during the 25-point scoring format (since 2008). With just nine more, she will pass Casey Gregg (1993-96) for third all-time in program history.
Mueller, along with Alexia Athans and Helen McMullin, each contributed five kills while tallying multiple blocks.
Up Next
The Broncos will face CCAA rival San Francisco State in the West Region Finals tomorrow, December 7th, at 5:00 PM in Kellogg Arena. The winner will advance to the NCAA Championships in Sioux Falls, South Dakota from December 12-14th.
These two teams have been dancing around each other all season, the Gators finishing second to the Broncos in the CCAA standings while also being ranked second behind CPP in the west region rankings. Cal Poly Pomona is 2-0 against the Gators this season, taking all three sets on September 21st at home and three of the four sets at San Francisco State on November 16th. Now both will have their shot in the final showdown, each trying to earn their program's first trip to the Elite Eight.
Bronco Bits
- The Broncos are now 9-1 all-time against Point Loma, including 2-0 in the NCAA Tournament.
- CPP is now 11-20 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, and 2-0 as the No. 1 seed.
- Traci Dahl is now 102-38 (.729) as head coach of the Broncos with a 9-6 record in the postseason.
- The Broncos were ranked No. 10 in the latest AVCA national rankings.
- The Broncos and Gators have never faced each other in the NCAA Tournament.
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