California Golden Bears Athletics
10/22/2026 11:14 AM | Volleyball
The Golden Bears Have Some Major Tests On The Horizon
Coming off a 2-0 weekend against the NC State Wolfpack and Wake Forest Demon Deacons, the California Golden Bears will be heading to the Tar Heel State this week for a clash with the other programs who reside in the state.
Riding a three game winning streak and winning five out of their last six, the 15-4 Bears are set to face off against their fourth ranked opponent of the year on Friday. They will be taking on the No. 23 North Carolina Tar Heels (12-4) in Chapel Hill before making the trip to Durham for a clash with the Duke Blue Devils (13-5) on Sunday.
MATCH INFO
No. 23 North Carolina (12-4, 7-1 ACC)
· Date and Time: Friday, Oct. 23 at 4:00 p.m. PT
· Location: Chapel Hill, NC | Carmichael Arena
· Live Scoring: Statbroadcast
Duke (13-5, 5-3 ACC)
· Date and Time: Sunday, Oct. 25 at 10:00 a.m. p.m. PT
· Location: Durham, NC | Cameron Indoor Stadium
· 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 is third in the ACC in aces at 32. As for Flores, her 696 assists leads 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 lone loss to Saint Mary's, tying her with Ellen Orchard ('07 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 alumnae and Cal Athletics Hall of Famer Lisa Arce Zimmerman. During her playing days, Lisa was 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 UCSD in which she racked up 24 kills and 5 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 as members of the All-Tournament Team were senior libero Sophia Johnson, and freshman outside hitter, Abby Zimmerman. For Johnson, she 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 had 22 kills, 18 digs and six blocks across the two games, showcasing her versatility and power. As for 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 has 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), and 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 going from the sand to the court, but Sherman is looking to prove she can do both at the highest level.
CHINA'S SUMMER ADVENTURES
The team spent five days in Beijing to sightsee before 8 days in Shanghai where they played six games in seven days for the 2026 Spiking The Youth Power Tournament. Senior Ashley Li is from Shanghai, and her parents both played volleyball there. She moved to the LA area when she was eight and went back and trained with the team during Covid. Her dad helped with arrangements with the trip and was the tour guide when there. As for the team, they bested the junior national teams of France, Bulgaria, Turkey, China and then played Shanghai University twice, beating them once before falling to them in the finals.
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