10/28/2026 11:14 PM | Volleyball
The Golden Bears Ended An 11-Match Drought Against Stanford
BERKELEY — Following crushing back-to-back defeats against No. 23 North Carolina and Duke, the Cal Golden Bears volleyball program faced a decision on Wednesday.
Sulk in defeat and let a bump in the road derail what has been one of the program's strongest seasons in five years, or fight through adversity and make some history.
To the great pleasure of Bears fans across the globe, they chose the latter Wednesday night against No. 18 Stanford. Having lost 11 straight Big Spikes, the Bears snapped that streak with a 3-0 sweep of the Cardinal, marking the first time in program history that they have swept Stanford.
The Bears won 25-23 and 25-20 before capping the night with a thrilling 27-25 victory that sent Haas Pavilion into a frenzy. Each set was as close as could be, with a total of 19 ties and seven lead changes throughout the match.
Ultimately, the Bears' offense grew stronger down the stretch, hitting .375 and .317 in the second and third sets, respectively. While Abby Zimmerman (12 kills) and Grace Agolli (11 kills) led the way offensively, senior Ashley Li delivered clutch kill after clutch kill to seal the match.
The win moves Cal to 16-6 on the season, marking the first time since 2023 that the Bears have surpassed 15 wins. The victory over a ranked opponent also marks the team's first such win since Oct. 16 of last season, when the Bears knocked off No. 14 Miami.
KEY FIGURES
1 — The number of Division I volleyball setters to record 30 or more assists and 20 or more digs in a match, with freshman Anna Flores becoming the first.
4 — The number of Bears who hit over .300: Anna Flores (.333), Abby Zimmerman (.345), Grace Agolli (.360) and Cari Bohm (.368).
6 — The number of aces Cal recorded in the win.
2,083 — The number of days between Cal's most recent victory over Stanford and Wednesday night's win.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Golden Bears will head down the road Friday to face the Cardinal again, looking to sweep the season series for the first time since 2011-12.
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