STANFORD, Calif. – California got 13 kills on .444 hitting from junior Preslie Anderson and took the first set from No. 3 Stanford, before falling 25-23, 13-25, 19-25, 21-25 to the Cardinal at Maples Pavilion on Friday afternoon.

Anderson's 13 kills tied a season-high to go along with five blocks for the Bears (20-10, 10-10 Pac-12). Junior Mima Mirkovic added nine kills and nine digs in her second match back from injury, while seniors Maddie Haynes and Bailee Huizenga each tallied eight kills for California.

Conference champion Stanford (24-4, 18-2 Pac-12) was led by a match-high 16 kills from Audriana Fitzmorris.

The Bears finish the regular season with 20 wins for the first time since 2013 and now await Sunday's NCAA Tournament selection show to find out their postseason fate. The show begins at 5:30 p.m. PST and will be broadcast on ESPNU.  

Cal used a 6-0 run in the first behind back-to-back blocks of Stanford All-American Kathryn Plummer by Anderson to take an 11-9 lead and force a Cardinal timeout. Cal continued the run, taking 11 of 13 points to grab a 16-11 timeout after two straight service aces from Maddie Haynes. A Huizenga kill gave the Bears a 19-16 advantage before a 3-0 Cardinal run forced the first Cal timeout of the set tied at 19. Tied at 23, Cal scored the final two points of the set on a block from Haynes and kill from Anderson to take the opening stanza 25-23.

Stanford fought back to open the second, taking eight of the first 11 points to force a California timeout. The seventh kill of the afternoon from Anderson brought Cal to within five at 12-7, but Stanford pushed the lead back to nine at 22-13 as the Bears took their second timeout. The Cardinal closed out the set from there, 25-13.

The Cardinal kept the momentum going to begin the third, taking a 7-2 lead to force a Cal timeout. The Bears would fight back, however, pulling to within one at 11-10 after a run of three straight. Stanford had the answer again behind Plummer, building a 17-12 lead as the Bears used their second timeout. Cal made it a four-point deficit on back-to-back kills from Haynes and Huizenga at 21-17 before Stanford finished off the set at 25-19.

Mirkovic recorded three early kills in the fourth, tying the set a four, but Stanford scored six of the next seven to take a 10-5 advantage and Cal used a timeout. California made it a 15-11 deficit on Anderson's 13^th kill of the match, and closed the gap to just two points twice down the stretch, but that was the closest the Bears would get as Stanford finished off the match.  

STAY POSTED
For complete coverage of Cal volleyball, please follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalVolleyball), Instagram (@calvolleyball) and Facebook (Cal Volleyball).