SALT LAKE CITY – California reached its highest point of the season while competing at over 4,200 feet of elevation.
 
In a 3-2 decision, the Golden Bears (9-8, 1-5 Pac-12) nabbed their first Pac-12 win over the No. 24 Utes of Utah (9-8, 1-5 Pac-12) garnering the program's first win over a ranked opponent since Oct. 29, 2016 when they downed a then 18th-ranked Washington State 3-0.
 
The victory marks the first conference win for first-year head coach Jennifer Dorr and the first win over the Utes since Oct. 15, 2015 when the Bears recorded a 3-2 victory also in Salt Lake.
 
Upon forcing a fifth set for the third time in league play, Cal posted a 7-0 run to sustain an early lead in the final set to come out victorious.
 
Mima Mirkovic recorded her ninth double-double effort leading the game with 16 kills and added 13 digs.
 
"It feels really good for the Bears to get their first Pac-12 win, especially after being so close in so many matches," said Dorr. "The resiliency to show up, work hard and trust the process and finally have the score tilt in our favor is rewarding. We have to continue to stay the course as it only gets harder and harder."

Cal's win was highlighted by a collective effort with 14 players seeing action. The Bears were also sparked by the steady play of Maddie Haynes and Preslie Anderson who contributed nine kills apiece, while freshman Makana Meyer also bolstered the team with five timely kills of her own. 
 
The Bears recovered in the fourth set, after a brutal set 3 when they were held to just nine points, to keep the contest within reach. The Blue and Gold matched the Utes 16-16 in kills in set 4 and were slightly more effective offensively with .282 attacking average compared to Utah's .225.
 
A disheartening third set gave the Utes the edge in a lopsided display that held the Bears to just nine points in the set after committing nine errors. Cal could not find its offense and posted eight kills and recorded an abysmal -.038 clip on the attack.
 
The back-and-forth battle was evident from the onset as the Bears and Utes recorded nine ties and five lead changes in the opening set. Cal was able to capitalize off 11 Utah errors and hold the Utes to a .029 hitting percentage to take set 1.
 
Set 2 provided as much parity as the opener, with another 11 tied scores and three lead changes. The Utes improved their efficiency significantly recording a .214 attacking percentage and reducing their errors to just six, while Cal's hitting percentage went up slightly to a .152.
 
Cal returns home to host a pair of matches against No. 15 Washington on Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. (PT) and No. 22 Washington State on Oct. 14 at 1 p.m. Both contests will be live streamed on Pac-12.com.
 
For more information on Cal volleyball, follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @CalVolleyball.