California Golden Bears Athletics
Cal Looking To Stay Hot With Meetings Against NC State And Wake Forest
10/13/2026 11:35 AM | Volleyball
The Bears Will Look To Continue To Turn Heads In ACC Play
The California Golden Bears (13-4) are back home this weekend after a road trip that saw them make stops at Louisville and Notre Dame.
Jen Malcom's squad split the two matches, losing 3-1 to No. 3 Louisville and sweeping the Fighting Irish 3-0. While the Bears would have loved a victory against a top-five team, they can take some solace in knowing that they were the first team in ACC play to win a set against Louisville.
As Cal looks to continue its strong play, it will welcome both NC State (12-5) and Wake Forest (8-9) to Haas Pavilion this weekend.
MATCH INFORMATION
NC State (Dig Pink Night)
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Date and Time: Friday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. PT
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Location: Berkeley, CA | Haas Pavilion
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Live Stream: ESPN+
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Live Scoring: StatBroadcast
Wake Forest
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Date and Time: Sunday, Oct. 18, at 1 p.m. PT
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Location: Berkeley, CA | Haas Pavilion
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Live Stream: ESPN+
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Live Scoring: StatBroadcast
NEW FACES MAKING AN IMPACT
The Golden Bears had a huge offseason, highlighted by the addition of seven new players. Headlined by outside hitter Abby Zimmerman, who ranked as the No. 30 player in the country, and 2025 AVCA All-Region selection and PrepVolleyball 17U First-Team All-American Anna Flores, Jen Malcom has not been shy about utilizing her youngsters. Zimmerman and Flores have each been in the starting lineup every match and haven't shown their youth much, if at all.
The duo has combined for 20 double-doubles on the season, while Zimmerman has racked up 212 kills and ranks third in the ACC in aces with 32. As for Flores, her 696 assists lead the ACC.
After not playing in the opening match, Illinois transfer Cari Bohm has made her presence felt since becoming a mainstay in the lineup. She recorded a program-record 13 total blocks in Cal's loss to Saint Mary's, tying her with Ellen Orchard (2007 vs. UCLA) for the most in a single match. She also ranks second in the ACC in total blocks with 85.
BIG SHOES TO FILL
The Cal volleyball program is no stranger to the Arce-Zimmerman family, as the program's star freshman happens to be the daughter of Cal volleyball alumna and Cal Athletics Hall of Famer Lisa Arce Zimmerman.
During her playing days, Lisa competed on the professional beach volleyball circuit for years and won a silver medal at the 1997 World Championships. She was also the first alternate for Team USA at the 2000 Olympic Games. During her time at Cal, she earned All-Pac-10 honors twice and ranked second all-time in both digs and kills when her career wrapped up.
Abby has started all three of Cal's matches thus far and is already seemingly living up to her ranking. Her breakout performance came in the team's win over UC San Diego, in which she racked up 24 kills and five aces.
ALL-TOURNAMENT PERFORMERS
Cal was well represented on the SFA All-Tournament Team, with a tournament-high three players selected. Thomsen was the headliner of the trio, as she was named MVP of the tournament following a two-game stretch that saw her total 22 kills and 10 blocks while also adding three aces against SFA.
Joining her on the All-Tournament Team were senior libero Sophia Johnson and freshman outside hitter Abby Zimmerman. Johnson racked up 30 digs in the two wins, pulling off some truly spectacular rally-saving plays. As for Zimmerman, she continues to prove why she was a top-30 recruit. She recorded 22 kills, 18 digs and six blocks across the two games, showcasing her versatility and power.
At the Santa Clara Mission Classic, Zimmerman and Agolli were named Players of the Match, respectively.
SHERMAN'S JOURNEY FROM THE SAND TO THE COURT
Fifth-year senior Portia Sherman hasn't played indoor volleyball since her high school days at Dos Pueblos, where she was named Channel League MVP and led her program to its first title in 10 years at the time.
Although it has been a while since she last played the sport in shoes, she provides a powerful arm and is one of the most decorated beach players in the country. Sherman and her doubles partner, Emma Donley, hold the Cal beach volleyball program records for single-season wins (31) and career wins (59). They also finished this past season as the nation's No. 4 overall pair, according to TruVolley.
There may be a bit of a learning curve when transitioning from the sand to the court, but Sherman is looking to prove she can compete in both at the highest level.
CHINA'S SUMMER ADVENTURES
The team spent five days sightseeing in Beijing before spending eight days in Shanghai, where it played six games in seven days at the 2026 Spiking the Youth Power Tournament.
Senior Ashley Li is from Shanghai, and both of her parents played volleyball there. She moved to the Los Angeles area when she was eight and returned to train with the team during COVID-19. Her dad helped arrange the trip and served as the tour guide while the team was there.
As for the team, the Bears defeated the junior national teams of France, Bulgaria, Turkey and China before playing Shanghai University twice, beating the team once before falling to it in the finals.
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