No. 10 Cal Beach Volleyball Splits Matches at East Meets West Invitational

MANHATTAN BEACH – The No. 10 California beach volleyball team showcased its competitive strength at the East Meets West Invitational, defeating FIU 5-0 and narrowly falling to No. 5 Texas 3-2 on Saturday at the Manhattan Beach Pier.

Dominating Performance Against FIU

The Golden Bears (11-5) achieved a clean sweep against FIU, winning all five matches without dropping a set. FIU has a history of national competitiveness, having been ranked five times since 2016 and qualifying for the NCAA Championships twice during that period.

Close Contest with No. 5 Texas

The dual against Texas proved to be a challenging encounter, with three sets extending into extra points. Despite the effort, the Bears fell short 3-2. The No. 2 pair of Grace Hong and Marilu Pally fought hard in the deciding third set, ultimately losing 18-21, 21-19, 20-18.

Standout Performances

Gia Fisher and Ava Haughy emerged as key performers for Cal, winning all four of their matches over the weekend. Their victory against Texas’ Emma Grace Robertson and Lily Davis was particularly impressive, with a final score of 21-19, 16-21, 21-19. Fisher and Haughy now hold a season record of 14-3.

Emma Donley and Portia Sherman also delivered a strong performance, winning their match against Texas’ Brecht Piersma and Katie Hashman with a score of 34-32, 21-15. Donley and Sherman currently boast a record of 15-1, with 11 wins against top-ranked opponents.

Team Record Against Ranked Opponents

The Bears have a 6-6 record against ranked teams this season, with five of their losses decided by a narrow 3-2 margin.

Upcoming Schedule

Cal will continue its season at the Death Volley Invitational at LSU next week.

Match Results

No. 10 California 5, FIU 0

• No. 1: Emma Donley/Portia Sherman (Cal) def. Katarina Drozd/Brianna Luoma, 21-18, 21-12
• No. 2: Marilu Pally/Grace Hong (Cal) def. Hanna Gubik/Nicole Robison, 21-18, 21-17
• No. 3: Gia Fisher/Ava Haughy (Cal) def. Isabella Pereira/Kendra Brown, 21-11, 21-12
• No. 4: Jenna Colligan/Mila Vugrincic (Cal) def. Elizabeth Nye/Hailey Prodan, 21-12, 21-11
• No. 5: Elle Evers/Savanna Lau (Cal) def. Sarah Boyle/Annelise Alvarez, 21-8, 21-12

No. 5 Texas 3, No. 10 California 2

• No. 1: Emma Donley/Portia Sherman (Cal) def. Brecht Piersma/Katie Hashman, 34-32, 21-15
• No. 2: Anna Pavelkova/Kacka Pavelkova (UT) def. Grace Hong/Marilu Pally, 18-21, 21-19, 20-18
• No. 3: Gia Fisher/Ava Haughy (Cal) def. Emma Grace Robertson/Lily Davis, 21-19, 16-21, 21-19
• No. 4: Chloe Charles/Eva Lisa Kuivonen (UT) def. Mila Vugrincic/Jenna Colligan, 21-16, 21-12
• No. 5: Noa Sonneville/Karin Zolnercikova (UT) def. Elle Evers/Savanna Lau, 21-19, 21-17

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