By Melanie Arias, September 22, 2026
Cal Poly Pomona’s volleyball team defeated Cal State Monterey Bay 3-0 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association opener Sept. 11, securing its first conference win of 2026.
The Broncos swept all three sets, 25-23, 25-23 and 25-20, earning 40 kills against the Otters. The Broncos earned more than 50 kills in the final two matches of the Bronco Classic.
“I wasn’t too pleased with our performance tonight,” head coach Traci Dahl said. “I thought we could have done a little bit better with tightening up areas of our game.”
Outside hitters Charlotte Koerber and Elle Walker led the Broncos’ offense, each with 12 kills. Outside hitter Sarah Ybarra followed with nine, and middle blocker Alexia Athans had five.
Previously, Ybarra earned 19 kills against Simon Fraser and 16 from Western Washington, with Walker earning 15 in both games.
The Otters started the first set with five kills right from the buzzer, and though the Broncos pulled ahead 20-19, the Otters were right behind with their kills. The Broncos won the set with only a two-point lead.
“I’m happy we got them 3-0, because they could have easily took that first set,” Dahl said. “It was pretty close in the second set, too, and then they started getting points in the third and I was like, ‘Oh, are we going to go over?’ But then they got it together.”
The Broncos started the second set off strong, pulling ahead by six kills. Libero Renee Nachtigall guarded the Broncos’ side of the net, digging up near kills from the Otters, and totaling nine digs throughout the sets. Koerber also helped guard the floor with her nine digs, keeping the Otters’ kills at bay.
Despite the Otters pulling off four kills back-to-back at the end, taking them from 16 to 20, a final kill from Walker ended the set.
Setter Alexia Zammit managed the Broncos offense with 31 assists, setting up Walker for nine kills, Ybarra and Koerber for eight, and Athans for four.
The sweep against the Otters and a 3-0 win against Menlo College Sept. 12 helped Zammit earn CCAA setter of the week.
“I like to say if a hitter has been doing really well in its crucial moments, you’re going to keep feeding them until it stops working,” Zammit said. “I just love feeding the ball to players who are on.”
Back-to-back rallies from the Otters increased pressure on the Broncos in the third set, despite the Broncos’ 7-1 lead. With the help of Ybarra, who earned four total digs during the game, and Nachtigall playing defense, the Broncos continued their momentum in the third set.
In a similar fashion to the previous set, Walker earned the final kill for the Broncos.
Ybarra said she loves the long rallies because of the celebrations at the end, as it brings up the team’s energy.
“We don’t get antsy or anything during the long rallies,” Ybarra said. “We’re doing all the good things, and when we finally get that point, we celebrate even harder.”
The Broncos are now 10-1 in regular season and 4-0 in conference play after a 3-1 win against Cal State East Bay Sept. 19.
Feature image courtesy of CPP Athletics
