LOS ANGELES – Cal Poly Pomona women's volleyball split their two non-conference matches on Friday against No. 18 ranked Colorado Mesa and No. 14 ranked Simon Fraser in the Cal State LA Invitational. With the win and the loss, the Broncos move to 2-3 on the season as they head into their final non-conference match of the season tomorrow.
 

Match 1: Cal Poly Pomona 3, Colorado Mesa 1
The No. 19 ranked Broncos came out sharp in the opening frame, hitting a blistering .556 with just one attack error. Sarah Ybarra notched five early kills while Charlotte Koerber added four, helping CPP build momentum en route to an easy 25–16 win.
 
Set two followed a similar script. Behind steady setting from freshman Kacie Caoili, who logged 46 assists in each of her first two collegiate matches, the Broncos spread the offense effectively. Elle Walker and Anastacia Garza provided timely kills, while CPP held off a late push to take it 25–18.
 
No. 18 Colorado Mesa responded in the third, capitalizing on errors and strong swings from Kaitlyn Hall and Charleston Tidwell. Despite 18 kills from the Broncos, including six from Walker, who finished the match with a stellar .433 hitting percentage, the Mavericks pulled away late with five of the last seven points to steal the set 25–20.
 
The Green & Gold found their rhythm once again in the fourth, seeing Ybarra and Walker take over offensively, each posting five more kills, while Caoili continued orchestrating the attack. Ybarra, Kaden Young, and Hanna Schneider each delivered an ace in the final set, as the team recorded eight in the match. CPP closed out the set 25–22, sealing the win and improving to 2-2 on the season.
 
Ybarra and Walker finished with a match-high 17 kills a piece, marking a career-high for the latter. Caoili continued to impress with 46 assists, as her 9.38 assists per set currently ranks second in the entire CCAA to start the season. Middle blocker Alexia Athans led CPP at the net with all three blocks, while also adding six kills.
 
 
Match 2: Cal Poly Pomona 1, Simon Fraser 3
The Broncos faced the No. 14 ranked Red Leafs for the second time in their past three matches in the Friday nightcap, falling three sets to one by scores of 25-16, 25-19, 25-17, and 25-18.
 
Senior outside hitter Sarah Ybarra delivered yet another double-double performance, as she has recorded at least double-digit kills, assists, or digs in each of the team's five matches to start the year. She was joined offensively by Alexia Athans, who added eight kills and two blocks, and defensively by Renee Nachtigall who added 11 digs. Setter Kacie Caoili directed the attack with 30 assists and chipped in 10 digs for a double-double of her own.
 
Cal Poly Pomona tallied 47 kills and six team blocks, hitting .149 overall. The Broncos were particularly sharp in the second set, limiting Simon Fraser to just .027 hitting while converting 63 percent of side-out opportunities. Three straight attack errors by SFU and kills by Kylie Leopard and Emeline Hudson would help CPP secure a 25-19 win to even the match at one set apiece.
 
Despite the momentum shift, undefeated Simon Fraser regrouped in the third and fourth sets, finishing with a .242 hitting percentage and a decisive 14-6 edge in blocks. Davida Hill led the Red Leafs with 17 kills, as they remain perfect on the season with a 5-0 record.
 
 
Up Next
The Broncos will conclude the Cal State LA Invitational tomorrow, September 13^th, at 5:00 PM against the host Golden Eagles. The two CCAA juggernauts will face off in each other's last non-conference match of the season. The teams are 5-5 in their past 10 meetings, and are two of the most recent CCAA regular season champions (CPP outright in 2024, LA co-champions with Cal State San Bernardino in 2023).
 
 
Bronco Bits

• The Broncos are now 2-2 all-time against Colorado Mesa dating back to 1995.
• The Broncos are now 6-2 all-time against Simon Fraser dating back to 2010.
• Traci Dahl is now 104-42 (.712) as head coach of the Broncos.
• Now in its 45th season, CPP Volleyball is 825-550 (.600) all-time with a 210-139 (.602) record in neutral matches.
• Cal Poly Pomona is an impressive 28-6 (.824) in non-conference regular season matches since the start of the 2021 season.
• Freshman Kacie Caoili recorded 76 assists on Friday, as she is now averaging 9.38 assists per set for the second-best in the CCAA.
• The last time CPP was 2-3 to start the season was 2019.