Bears Split Senior Day At Stanford
STANFORD - The No. 10 California beach volleyball team split two matches on the final day of regular season competition, falling to No. 5 Loyola Marymount, 4-1 before defeating San Jose State, 4-1, Sunday at Stanford.
The Golden Bears also celebrated Senior Day, honoring Katie Smoot, Alexia Inman, Maddie Micheletti, Mima Mirkovic, Caroline Schafer and Cassidy Drury-Pullen and recognizing their contributions to the Cal beach volleyball program before the first match of the day.
With the day's split, the Bears finish the regular season with a 14-11 overall record (5-5 Pac-12). The squad will head to Los Angeles this Thursday-Saturday for the Pac-12 Championships.
No. 5 Loyola Marymount 4, No. 10 Cal 1
The Bears took the first matchup of the day as the duo of Ainsley Radell and Jordan Polo came from behind to win in three sets, 10-21, 21-18, 15-12 on Court 2.
Over on Court 4, Grace Paulson and Katie Smoot also took the contest to three sets but ultimately fell to the Lions, 18-21, 24-22, 9-15. After taking the match on Court 5 in two, Loyola Marymount clinched the dual win on Court 1 before finishing up with a win on Court 3.
No. 10 Cal 4, San Jose State 1
The Bears bounced back in a big way in the afternoon, winning the first four matchups of the dual before dropping the final in three sets.
Paulson and Smoot finished first, giving a strong performance on Court 4 to win in two sets, 23-21, 21-12. The duo of Radell and Polo picked up their second in of the day on Court 2, defeating the Lions 21-9, 21-18.
The senior duo of Mirkovic and Schafer also closed the regular season with a win, taking the point in two sets, 21-12, 21-13.
On Court 5, Micheletti and Maya Gessner nabbed the win over LMU, 21-13, 21-8 to wrap up a solid weekend, having also won their contest in yesterday's dual vs. Grand Canyon.
On Court 3, Ava Mann and Inman took their matchup to three sets but narrowly fell to the Lions, 21-17, 20-22, 13-15.
No. 5 Loyola Marymount 4, No. 10 Cal 1
#1: Selina Marolf/Reka Orsi Toth (LMU) def. Mima Mirkovic/Caroline Schafer (CAL) - 21-14, 21-14
#2: Ainsley Radell/Jordan Polo (CAL) def. Jessie Prichard/Savannah Slattery (LMU) - 10-21, 21-18, 15-12
#3: Iya Lindahl/Megan Rice (LMU)def. Alexia Inman/Ava Mann (CAL) - 21-12, 21-16
#4: Madi Firnett/Emma Doud (LMU) def. Grace Paulson/Katie Smoot (CAL) - 21-18, 22-24, 15-9
#5: Darby Dunn/Jacinda Ramirez (LMU) def. Maya Gessner/Maddie Micheletti (CAL) - 21-17, 21-17
Order of Finish - 2, 4, 5, 1, 3
No. 10 Cal 4, San Jose State 1
#1: Mima Mirkovic/Caroline Schafer (CAL) def. Haylee Nelson/Jaida Ward (SJSU) - 21-12, 21-13
#2: Ainsley Radell/Jordan Polo (CAL) def. Siena Brewster/Letizia Cammillucci (SJSU) - 21-9, 21-18
#3: Ava Mann/Alexia Inman (CAL) vs. Alyson Alden/Mia Schafer (SJSU)
#4: Grace Paulson/Katie Smoot (CAL) def.Cheyenne Rice/Allison Pereira (SJSU) - 23-21, 21-12
#5: Maddie Micheletti/Maya Gessner (CAL) def. Calli Novak/Kiley Lingenfelter (SJSU) - 21-13, 21-8
Order of Finish - 4, 2, 1, 5, 3