BOULDER, Colo. – No. 24 California had three players record double-digit kills, but the Bears fell 16-25, 23-25, 25-23, 18-25 to Colorado Friday night at the CU Events Center.

Cal was led by 13 kills from redshirt sophomore Lauren Forte and a new career-high 11 kills by sophomore Makana Meyer. Junior Preslie Anderson added 10 kills on .400 hitting. The short-handed Bears played without two starters, including junior outside hitter Mima Mirkovic and sophomore defensive specialist/libero Gabby Bellizzi.

The Bears fell to 20-7 overall and 10-7 in Pac-12 play, while the Buffaloes improved to 12-15 on the season and 4-13 in conference.

Colorado used an 8-2 run, turning a three-point lead into a 22-13 advantage in the first. After a timeout the Bears tried to make a run with two straight, but CU answered to close out the first frame.

Cal answered to start the second set, jumping out to a 7-1 lead on back-to-back kills from Anderson. The Buffs fought back with eight of nine points to tie the set at 11. Tied at 17 after an Anderson kill, CU scored three straight to go up 20-17 and force Cal's second timeout of the set. Cal pulled within one at 24-23, but CU scored the final point to take the set.

The teams traded points back and forth early in the third and a kill from Meyer knotted the score at 14. Cal scored three straight points, capped by a kill from senior Savannah Rennie to retake the lead 18-17, forcing a CU timeout. Cal scored the final two points of the set, closing it out on a Meyer solo block to win 25-23 in a wild frame featuring 16 tied scores and eight lead changes.

In an early tight fourth frame the Buffs scored five of six points to turn a two-point lead into a 17-11 advantage. The Bears answered again, going on a run of four straight points to cut the lead to two at 18-16 on Meyer's 11^th kill. The Buffs took a 21-17 lead to force a Cal timeout, and the Bears ran out of gas over the final points as CU closed out the match.

Up Next: The Bears return to action on Sunday with an 11 a.m. first serve against No. 16 Utah at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.

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