STANFORD – Freshman Mima Mirkovic recorded nine kills at a .375 hitting percentage and opposite hitter Carmen Annevelink added six kills at a .455 clip but the Cal volleyball team fell to No. 4 Stanford, 25-20, 25-14, 25-14 in its Pac-12 opener on Wednesday night at Maples Pavilion.

Freshman middle blocker Preslie Anderson had five kills and hit .400. Senior Christine Alftin led the Bears (9-3, 0-1 Pac-12) defensively with seven digs.

Cal went toe-to-toe with the Cardinal for most of the first set. After falling behind 8-3, the Bears scored three in a row on a kill by Anderson and a pair of Stanford hitting errors. Kills by Mirkovic and Alftin helped Cal chip away further at the deficit until it was finally tied at 10-10.

Another kill by Mirkovic kept the Bears close at 17-14 before the Cardinal four points in succession to pull away.

Cal hit .235 for the match, the fourth-highest mark Stanford has allowed this season. The Bears were hitting .345 after the first set.

"We hit very well tonight," Cal coach Matt McShane said. "The problem was Stanford was incredibly good. Even with our struggling a little bit, we still hit for a good number. We are pleased with that."

The Bears stay on the road this weekend when they travel to No. 16 Utah for a Sunday matinee at 1 p.m. PT. The match will air on the Pac-12 Networks.