Cal Topped By USC In Four

BERKELEY – California volleyball fell 21-25, 21-25, 25-18, 9-25, to USC Sunday afternoon at Haas Pavilion.

Katie Smoot and Leah Schmidt recorded seven kills apiece to lead the Bears (7-6, 0-2 Pac-12).

Mima Mirkovic and Bella Bergmark each added five kills, while Tara DeSa had 25 digs for California.

Brooke Botkin recorded a match-high 14 kills for the Trojans (5-6, 1-1 Pac-12). 

How It Happened:
It was back-and-forth in the first with neither team taking a lead of more than two points early on. The Trojans scored three straight to take a 21-18 lead and the Bears couldn't get closer down the stretch.

USC took a 12-5 lead to start the second frame as Cal used its first timeout, but four in a row for the Bears on a DeSa service run made it 22-21, Trojans. USC recovered to get the final three points and a 2-0 lead in the match.

Cal went on a 7-0 run in the third behind two kills from Smoot and one from Schmidt, making it 14-12 Bears. It was another six straight for Cal to go up 22-15 and the Bears made it 2-1 in the match.

The Trojans used a decisive run of 17-0 in the fourth to make it 18-1 as they closed out the match.

Up Next: The Bears are back in Haas Pavilion on Friday, Oct. 1 for a 7 p.m. first serve against Arizona. The match will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Networks.