California Golden Bears Athletics
California
15-5,5-4ACC
North Carolina
13-4,8-1ACC
| Team | Final F | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 1 | ||||
| North Carolina | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
10/23/2026 6:56 PM | Volleyball
The Bears Rallied To Win A Thrilling Second Set But Couldn't Overcome The Tar Heels
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – California volleyball faced its fourth ranked ACC opponent of the season as the Golden Bears traveled to North Carolina to take on the No. 23 North Carolina Tar Heels.
The Golden Bears jumped out to an early 4-2 lead to open the match, with Sawyer Thomsen making a statement with two kills in Cal's first four points. Both teams traded blows throughout the rest of the set, with neither trailing by more than five points, but North Carolina took the opening frame.
Set two was a thriller, with the Bears fighting off a late Tar Heel comeback to even the match at one set apiece with a 27-25 win. The victory marked the third set Cal has won against a ranked opponent this season.
Cal never led in the third set, falling to North Carolina 25-17, but opened the fourth set with a bang. The Bears held the lead until the score was tied at 9-9, when an attack error gave North Carolina a lead it would not relinquish.
The Tar Heels went on to clinch a 25-20 victory in the fourth set, winning the match 3-1. The loss dropped Cal to 15-5, with four of its five losses coming against teams ranked in the top 25 at the time of their matchups.
KEY FIGURES
1 — The number of reception errors the Golden Bears had, marking the fifth time Cal has had one or fewer reception errors in a match this season.
12 — The number of double-doubles freshman setter Anna Flores has this season after her 42 assists and 14 digs against the Tar Heels.
8 — The number of blocks Cari Bohm needs to reach the milestone of 350 career blocks after recording six against North Carolina.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Bears continue their road trip at Duke on Sunday, the match to begin at 10:00 a.m. PT.
STAY POSTED
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