By Justine Sanchez, September 22, 2026
Cal Poly Pomona right side hitter Sarah Ybarra became the first player in CPP women’s volleyball history to earn three American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II National Player of the Week honors after earning the award for the week of Aug. 31-Sept. 6.
Ybarra has become a key player as senior captain, earning a variety of awards throughout her time at CPP, including eight California Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Week nods, two All-CCAA First Team titles, National Player of the Week twice before this in 2024 and 2025, and many more high recognitions.
“I didn’t know how my college career was going to go, but I definitely did not think it was going to go like this,” Ybarra said.
Ybarra first started playing volleyball in middle school, but her competitive career started her freshman year of high school when she joined Tstreet Inland Empire volleyball club. By sophomore year she began to think about what her future in volleyball could look like.
At the time, the recruiting process was difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic because according to Ybarra universities were keeping their seniors on meaning they didn’t need as many recruits. However, Ybarra claimed CPP checked most of her boxes since she wanted to attend a school close to home, earn a scholarship and continue to play volleyball at a competitive level. This decision also reunited her with head coach Traci Dahl, who once coached Ybarra at club level when she was 14 years old.
Seeing Ybarra’s growth from club to her college career firsthand, Dahl shared how proud she is of Ybarra on and off of the court.
“She’s just powerful, she works 110% every day, and she’s a competitor,” Dahl said. “What stands out about her is that she expects the same thing from everybody around her, so she makes her teammates better.”
Throughout her career, Ybarra said she has worked hard to prove herself every year.
It wasn’t until last season when she earned offensive player of the week five times in a row, she realized how strong she has become.
Ybarra described herself as an aggressive, ambitious and tenacious player, which she said are all qualities that have helped not only improve her own performance but influence the team around her.
Her teammate and middle blocker Alexia Athans gave insight to how Ybarra’s competitive mindset has set her apart from others.
“Sarah’s mental game is very, very strong, and I think there’s both a physical and mental side to volleyball that are equally as important,” Athans said. “She’s truly just so aggressive on the court and has that ‘we are going to win’ mentality, which really translates to other people, too. So, I think that’s what sets her apart is her ambition and drive.”
Both Athans and Dahl shared how dedicated and consistent Ybarra is both on and off the court, making her a dependable player and even better teammate, they said.
Ybarra credits her improvement to the resources and support she has received through the athletics program. From her coaches to the athletic trainers, she said they have all helped her become a better player throughout her college career.
“All they want for us is for us to get stronger, and for us to get better, and I think they do a really great job of helping us with our game every season,” Ybarra said.
Practice takes place every day from noon to 2:30 p.m., but Ybarra prioritizes time with their trainer by arriving at 10:30 a.m. to get proper treatments and alignments. She shared the importance of how she prioritizes her recovery, nutrition, sleep and hydration intake to do everything she can off the court to make for a better performance on the court.
Although her own personal efforts have been recognized, Ybarra emphasized her team has played a huge role in all her successes.
“I would say all of the credit goes to my team because I could not have done what I have done these past two years, like any of it, without my team,” Ybarra said.
Feature image courtesy of CPP Athletics
