California Golden Bears Athletics
California
11-3,1-2ACC
Virginia
5-7,1-2ACC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 21 | 22 | 25 | 23 | 1 |
| California | 25 | 25 | 20 | 25 | 3 |
Cal Secures First ACC Win Against Virginia
10/2/2026 9:37 PM | Volleyball
The Golden Bears Got Back In The Win Column
In the California Golden Bears' (10-3) first home match since late August, they welcomed the Virginia Cavaliers (5-6) to Haas Pavilion.
The Bears came into Friday's matchup looking to end a two-game losing streak, as they lost both matches in their opening week of conference play to No. 2 Pitt and No. 5 SMU. The first set was extremely back and forth, with four ties and two lead changes, but it was the Bears pulling off the victory, 25-21.
They were able to carry that momentum into the second set as well, which was even more tightly contested. Despite dropping the opening set, the Cavs came out swinging. Much like the first, neither team wanted to hang onto the lead, as there ended up being 15 ties and six lead changes. However, when things were all said and done, it was the Bears securing the win and a 2-0 set lead.
As they have been prone to doing at times, Cal was unable to completely silence its opponent, as the Cavs prevented the sweep, winning 25-20.
The fourth set was also a back-and-forth bout, as the two squads tied one another nine times and exchanged the lead four times. After looking somewhat lackadaisical in the third, the Bears closed out this one with authority, winning 25-20.
KEY FIGURES
2 — The number of players who racked up a double-double for the Bears, with freshman duo Abby Zimmerman and Anna Flores continuing to showcase their skill set.
3 — The number of players who racked up 11+ kills, with Grace Agolli (11), Sawyer Thomsen (12) and Zimmerman (12) all proving to be quite effective on the offensive end.
500 — The clip that Sawyer Thomsen was hitting at in the victory.
16 — The number of digs that Sophia Johnson racked up.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Bears will play back-to-back home games for the first time since the end of August. They will host Virginia Tech at 6:00 p.m. in a match that will be streamed on ESPN+.
STAY POSTED
For complete coverage of Cal volleyball, please follow the Bears on X (@CalVolleyball), Instagram (@calvolleyball), Facebook (Cal Volleyball), and TikTok (@calbearsvb).
