ALISO VIEJO, Calif. - Cal Poly Pomona volleyball placed six players on the 2026 All-CCAA Team, led by senior right-side hitter Sarah Ybarra, who was named the conference's Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and marking the fourth time in the past five seasons a Bronco has taken home the honor.
 
Ybarra, Elle Walker, and Alexia Athans earned First Team honors, while Paige Bowyer was selected to the Second Team, and Addi Knight and Renee Nachtigall received honorable mention recognition. Bowyer was also named the CCAA Freshman of the Year, the fifth time since 2015 a Bronco has earned the award.
 
Ybarra currently has 395 kills, a .254 hitting percentage, 36 service aces, 252 digs, and 46 total blocks. Her 4.25 kills per set and 4.91 points per set both lead the CCAA and rank Top 10 in the nation. The La Habra native recorded season highs of 25 kills at Cal State East Bay, 27 points at UC Merced, and a .679 hitting percentage against Cal State San Marcos. Ybarra was named to the Yotes Classic Showcase and Bronco Classic All-Tournament Teams, earned five CCAA Offensive Player of the Week awards, and was selected as the AVCA Division II National Player of the Week in early September. She also became the 10th player in program history to reach 1,000 career kills at Cal State LA on Oct. 3.
 
This marks the third consecutive season with Ybarra on the All-CCAA First Team, and she becomes the only player in program history to earn conference player of the year honors in multiple seasons. She is the seventh player in conference history to be named player of the year in multiple seasons. 
 
Walker earned First Team All-CCAA honors for the second straight season after producing 332 kills, a .287 hitting percentage, 39 digs, and 25 total blocks. The sophomore outside hitter averaged 3.77 kills per set and recorded a season-best 22 kills against Cal State San Bernardino and at Chico State. She has also recorded 18 matches with double-digit kills, including the past 10 straight.
 
Athans joined Walker on the First Team after totaling 199 kills, a .376 hitting percentage, 71 total blocks, and 243 points. The senior middle blocker averaged 2.14 kills and 0.76 blocks per set, posting season highs of 13 kills at Cal State LA, seven blocks against Cal State LA, and a .917 hitting percentage at Stanislaus State.
 
Bowyer became the CCAA Freshman of the Year and earned Second Team honors after emerging as one of the conference's top young setters. She recorded 498 assists in 56 sets, averaging 8.89 assists per set, while adding 11 service aces, 76 digs, and 18 total blocks. Her season highs included 54 assists at UC Merced, 10 digs at San Francisco State, and four kills against Cal Poly Humboldt. Bowyer was also named CCAA Setter of the Week four times, three of which came in consecutive weeks from October 5-25.
 
Knight received honorable mention recognition after finishing with 111 kills, a .295 hitting percentage, and 77 total blocks, including 20 solo blocks. She averaged 1.19 kills and 0.83 blocks per set, recording season highs of 16 kills and 18.5 points at Cal State LA on Oct. 3, along with six total blocks against Cal State San Marcos.
 
Nachtigall earned honorable mention honors after anchoring the Broncos' back row with 343 digs, 29 service aces, and 64 assists. The redshirt senior averaged 3.90 digs per set and recorded a career-high 27 digs at San Francisco State on Oct. 22. She also recorded her 1,000th collegiate dig at Cal State LA on Oct. 3 and was named CCAA Defensive Player of the Week for Oct. 19-25.
 
 
Up Next
The Broncos will face No. 7 ranked and two seeded Cal State San Bernardino this Friday, November 13th, at 5:30 PM in the CCAA Tournament Semifinals in Hayward. The Broncos are 1-1 against the Coyotes this season and 1-3 all-time against them in the CCAA Tournament.