California Golden Bears Athletics
California
9-1,0-0ACC
Sacramento State
5-6,0-0Big West
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento St. | 23 | 25 | 25 | 16 | 15 | 2 |
| California | 25 | 23 | 19 | 25 | 17 | 3 |
Cal Extends Winning Streak To Seven With Gritty Victory Over Sac State
9/19/2026 4:57 PM | Volleyball
The Golden Bears Were Able To Pick Up Another Victory
SAN JOSE — With one final piece of tournament action before they head into ACC play, the California Golden Bears (8-1) took on the Sacramento State Hornets (5-5) in their opening match of the Battle of NorCal.
With the Golden Bears riding a hot streak of six wins in a row, they raced to a fast start in the first set, winning 25-23. However, as they have done multiple times this season, they let their foot off the gas pedal a bit, allowing the Hornets to win the next two sets, 25-23 and 25-19.
After a motivational speech from assistant coach Alyssa Andreno in the air-conditioned hallway of Spartan Gym — which first opened in 1932 and was lacking any airflow in the actual gym — the Bears came out with a new level of intensity. The fourth set saw just one tie, as the Bears didn't relinquish the lead a single time.
Cal flew to a 25-16 victory and seemed to control the momentum with the fifth set approaching. They jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the fifth, but the Hornets did not go down without a fight. There were 10 ties and five lead changes, but a strong final stretch from Abby Zimmerman closed out the victory for Cal with a 17-15 win.
The freshman outside hitter and daughter of Cal Hall of Famer Lisa Arce recorded a massive kill to make it 15-15, then forced a Sac State error and finished the match with an ace to clinch the win.
KEY FIGURES
7 — The number of matches in a row in which freshman setter Anna Flores has recorded 40+ assists.
7 — The number of matches Cal has won in a row, giving the program its longest winning streak since 2023 (12 in a row).
WHAT'S NEXT?
Cal will be take on San Jose State on Sunday Sept. 19 at 2:00 p.m. PT in a game that will be streaming on MW+.
STAY POSTED
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