BERKELEY – The sixth-ranked California women's swimming & diving team put up a fight against No. 1 Virginia under the lights at Spieker Aquatics Complex on Friday night, coming up short in a 141-121 dual-meet loss.
 
In front of an electric crowd witnessing its first Cal women's swim meet in person since Jan. 25, 2020, the Golden Bears put together a hard-fought performance against the reigning NCAA champion Cavaliers that provided an early-season glimpse of what lies ahead next spring.
 
"I'm really proud of the way we showed up against a high-caliber Virginia team tonight in front of a great home crowd," said Cal head coach Teri McKeever. "This was a solid team effort and there's lots of good for our group to build upon. I appreciate Virginia making the trek out west to race this early in the season; both teams will surely benefit from the competition."
 
A sweep of the 200-yard freestyle by Isabel Ivey (1:45.27), Ayla Spitz (1:47.26) and Robin Neumann (1:47.61) jump started the Bears' evening after Virginia opened the meet with a pool record of 1:34.65 in the 200 medley relay. UVA's Gretchen Walsh – who led off the Cavaliers' 200 medley relay – set another pool record in the following event, touching in 51.15 to win the 100 backstroke.
 
Cal finished 2-3-4 in both the 100 breaststroke and 200 butterfly and narrowly trailed Virginia, 70-61, at the first break. Ema Rajic (59.72) and Lizzy Cook (1:58.31) earned second-place finishes in the two events, respectively.
 
The Bears earned two more individual wins throughout the meet as Spitz out-performed 2020 Olympian Emma Weyant in the 500 freestyle with a 4:46.83 effort and Alicia Wilson clocked 1:59.63 to edge UVA's Ella Nelson (1:59.71) in the 200 individual medley.
 
Next up for Cal is a Pac-12 dual meet at Utah on Friday, Nov. 5.