California Golden Bears Athletics
California
15-6,5-5ACC
Duke
14-6,6-4ACC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 19 | 22 | 15 | 0 |
| Duke | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
10/25/2026 12:00 PM | Volleyball
Bears Come Up Empty On Road Trip
Amidst its best 20-game start in the past three seasons, the Golden Bears (15-6, 5-5) found themselves looking to bounce back after falling to to No. 23 North Carolina in four sets just 24 hours earlier, but were unable to get anything going on offense against a tough Blue Devils team (14-6, 6-4).
After jumping out to a 4-2 lead, the Golden Bears were unable to fend off Duke. The Blue Devils took a 5-4 lead, and never looked back. There seemed to be a hint of a comeback brewing as the Bears used a 4-0 run to cut Duke's lead to 19-17, but the Blue Devils won six of the next eight points to claim the first 25-19.
Much like the first, the second set saw the Bears jump out to an early lead. Cal was able to score five unanswered points to open, but again the Blue Devils again stormed back to retake the lead. Once Duke surpassed the Bears, it never relinquished its lead on its way to taking the frame 25-22 despite Cal keeping it within four or five points throughout.
The final set was more of the same with Cal sprinting out to an 8-4 lead that would not hold as Duke went on an 11-3 run and never looked back.
KEY FIGURES
- Sawyer Thomsen led the Bears with 12 kills swinging a potent, errorless .800 clip (12-0-15)
- Anna Flores was productive on both ends with 28 assists, six digs, and three blocks
UP NEXT
The Bears will now return to California for a home-and-home series with rival No. 15 Stanford beginning Wednesday at Haas Pavilion at 7 p.m. PT.
