By Isaac Cox, Sept. 24, 2024
Cal Poly Pomona women’s volleyball team’s Madison Novak and Caitie Mueller received All-Tournament Team honors at the Central Washington Invitational Sept. 14, leading the Broncos to a 2-1 finish last weekend.
The No. 10 ranked Broncos faced three unranked teams that have received votes in the American Volleyball Collegiate Association’s top 25 polls: Central Washington University, Simon Fraser and Western Washington University.
In the first matchup of the tournament against CWU, the Broncos edged out the first set by two points, 25-23. The Wildcats found their rhythm in the next two sets, defeating the Broncos 25-20 in the second set and 25-23 in the third.
Heading into the fourth set down two sets to one, the Broncos refused to let up behind the outside hitter duo Novak and Samantha Campion, combining for 11 kills to take the fourth set 25-11.
The two teams traded points in the fifth set until CPP went on a three-point scoring run for a 10-7 advantage and built on that lead to reach a set point, 14-9, behind a kill by a middle blocker Alexia Athens.
Outside hitter Ellie Marble and the Wildcats rose to the challenge on their home court, saving five set points with two blocks late in the game and a final ace to win the match 16-14.
“After our five-set match, I have learned that as a team, we need to be able to push a little harder in crunch time,” said senior middle blocker Helen McMullin. “This season, we have felt confident, beating teams in three or four sets. A fifth set is a whole different game that tests a team’s ability to take calculated risks and to put everything they have on the floor. I’d say this loss is one to remember.”
Novak recorded her first career double-double with 17 kills and 14 digs and Campion contributed with 13 kills and 21 digs, marking her fourth career match passing the 20-dig mark as a Bronco.
Mueller collected 54 assists, falling just one short of matching her career high, and right-side hitter Sarah Ybarra earned her third double-double of the season with 13 kills and 10 digs. Athens recorded a career high of 15 kills at a .545 hitting percentage on 22 attempts in the match.
“Honestly, I had no recollection of all my kills during the game,” Athens said. “All I was thinking about during the game was that I had to keep driving for the benefit of the team, find the open spots and swing or place for a point. It didn’t have to always be flashy – a point is a point. All I was thinking about was the next point.”
The Broncos retaliated after their first loss of the season to defeat Simon Fraser 3-0 in the second matchup of the weekend, holding the Red Leafs under 20 points in all three sets, 25-20, 25-16 and 25-15.
CPP held Simon Fraser to just 22 kills and a .080 hitting percentage on the night to the Broncos 43 kills and .304 hitting percentage.
The pin hitter trio led the offense for CPP: Ybarra recorded 13 kills, followed by Novak with 11 kills and Campion closely behind with nine kills and three blocks.
The Broncos looked to their bench to close out set three, with outside hitter Landen Allison-Bullocks earning the final two points with her first two collegiate kills.
In the last matchup against Western Washington, CPP dominated the first two sets 25-12 and the final set 25-22. The Broncos recorded the team’s highest hitting percentage this season at .383 to mark the program’s first win over WWU since 2005.
Mueller set a career high eight kills along with 22 assists and five digs while Novak racked up 10 kills, her third consecutive match in double digits to be named an All-Tournament Team honoree.
“It’s been great just being able to see that other people are recognizing the work we are putting in,” said Mueller after earning her second All-Tournament award this season. “Whatever I do, I can’t do it without my hitters. They make me look good and being able to get that award is really a team award.
Head coach Traci Dahl highlighted the team’s response to overcoming adversity in the next two games of the tournament against Western Washington and Simon Fraser after its first loss of the season.
“I think every single person involved in this program was hurt from that loss,” said Dahl. “As a coach, I don’t know if I ever felt such a hurt from a loss and felt it from the team you know, it wasn’t like everyone just moved on. But we knew we had to move on. The next day, I thought how we responded was top notch, beating these teams in three straights (sets). It was very clear that the team was playing a little angry.”
With the lone loss on the season, CPP volleyball moves to 6-1 in preseason before heading into CCAA conference play this upcoming week where the Broncos will face rival Cal State San Bernardino Sept. 20 and San Francisco State Sept. 21.
Photos courtesy of Shayden Hoopai-Waikoloa