BOULDER, Colo. – California volleyball kicked off its last tournament of the season on Friday afternoon, facing an undefeated Wyoming squad in the first match of the Buffs Invitational at CU Events Center. Even after dropping the first set, the Golden Bears (6-2) turned things around in a gutsy performance to earn a 3-1 win (14-25, 25-23, 25-21, 28-26) over the Cowgirls (5-1).
 
Setter Natalie Lau posted her third-straight double-double, notching 45 assists and 13 digs on the night while adding a career-high four blocks to her stat line. Mikayla Hayden and Sawyer Thomsen each recorded nine kills and five blocks, respectively hitting .471 and .571. Three Bears – Xuemeng (Maggie) Li (13), Peyton DeJardin (11) and Kate Mansfield (10) – reached double-digit kills, while another trio – Lau, Sophia Johnson (16) and Gianna Bartalo (12) – each produced double-digit digs; Johnson's team-leading total was also a career best.
 
As a team, Wyoming out-hit Cal .282 to .250 on the match but also gifted the Bears a total of 15 points from service errors.
 
Cal struggled in the first set, hitting just .036 on the way to an 11-point loss, but managed to improve its efficiency by nearly .300 in the second set while also recording three aces; Hayden was especially sharp in that second set, slamming down four kills at a .667 clip, while Mansfield added three of her own that included the set-winning point. The Bears' defense came to life in the third, with five players contributing a total of six blocks, including a solo from Lau, to hold Wyoming to just .162 hitting; meanwhile, Cal's offense stayed consistent at a .320 pace, with Thomsen hitting a perfect 3-for-3 and Mansfield once again finishing off the set with a kill.
 
Although Wyoming's offense rebounded in the fourth set, forcing the Bears to play from behind early, Cal would not be denied its third-straight win. Down 15-19 at the mid-set media timeout, the comeback began with Li's 10th kill of the match, which she shortly followed up with her 11th and a service ace. One point later, DeJardin contributed two straight kills, bringing the score to 20-21 and forcing a Wyoming timeout. Cal's next two kills also belonged to DeJardin, after which the Bears finally tied up the score at 23 with a triple block from Li, Hayden and Lau. Finally – for the third-straight set – it was Mansfield who sealed the deal for Cal, joining reliable blocks-partner Thomsen for one last stop to end the match.
 
UP NEXT
Cal will continue play at the Buffs Invitational with a match against host team Colorado (4-3) tomorrow at 5 p.m. PT.
 
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