SALT LAKE CITY – The California volleyball team fell to both No. 8 Purdue (27-29, 12-25, 25-18, 23-25) and Utah (16-25, 23-25, 19-25) in a doubleheader at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City Thursday. Xuemeng (Maggie) Li and Peyton DeJardin registered double-digit kills in both matches. Annalea Maeder served two aces across both matches putting her just three away from the fifth spot on Cal's all-time career list.
 
The Golden Bears (3-2) were down 0-2 against Purdue (4-0) and won the third set and got edged out in the fourth, just missing out on forcing a fifth set before getting swept against Utah (4-0).
 
Vs. Purdue
In the first set, back-to-back kills from Sawyer Thomsen and Kate Mansfield gave the Bears an early 4-3 lead. Purdue went on a 3-1 run to go up 9-6 before Peyton DeJardin and Mikayla Hayden registered consecutive kills to get within one point. Li posted a kill to re-gain the lead for the Bears at 11-10. After the Boilermakers used a 3-0 run to go up 17-15, Annalea Maeder notched her eighth assist of the set to get the Bears to within one. From there, the set remained at a one-point differential until Li and DeJardin fueled a 3-0 run to go up 23-21 and force a Purdue timeout. The two teams combined to reach set point five times, but the Boilermakers ultimately won the set.
 
The Boilermakers used a 5-1 run to take an early 9-4 lead which forced a Cal timeout in the second set. Purdue kept the run going scoring the next four points before DeJardin ended it with a kill. The Bears were never able to get back into the set as the Boilermakers registered a .538 kill percentage.
 
The Bears showed a lot of fight and opened the third set with an early 5-1 lead powered by kills from Hayden and Li and a couple of Purdue errors. The Boilermakers responded with six straight points to take the lead back. Cal answered back and used a 3-0 run to take a 14-11 lead later in the set. The Bears kept the Boilermakers at bay with consecutive points from Li and Mansfield to put Cal up 18-14. Purdue would not get closer than four points as Cal cruised to win the set.
 
In the fourth set, a kill followed by an ace from Thomsen powered a 5-1 Cal run to give the Bears an early 9-5 lead and force a Purdue timeout. After the Boilermakers got to within two points, the Bears kept them at arms length with a 3-0 run aided by Li's 12th kill of the match followed by Thomsen's ninth. Purdue used three aces to power a 6-1 run in response and take a 21-19 lead. Gianna Bartalo's ace knotted the game at 21-21. The set was tied once again at 23-23 but the Boilermakers were able to take the next two points to take the set and match.

"The team kept executing the game plan and believed in each other even after being down 2-0," Cal head coach Jen Malcom said. "They showed that they can play with anyone in the country at a high level when they compete. Even with the loss, I am super proud of this team and know we are in a great spot."
 
At Utah
Five Cal errors helped Utah jump out to a 7-3 lead in the opening set before Mansfield and DeJardin combined for three consecutive kills to fuel a 4-0 run to tie the set. The Utes responded with a 5-1 run to go up 15-11. The Bears got to within 15-13 but were unable to get any closer as Utah scored 10 of the next 13 points to take the set.
 
In the second set, Li registered two kills to help Cal jump out to an early 4-2 lead. The set remained within two points and was tied at 13-13 after Utah went on a 6-2 run. The Utes followed up with a 4-1 run to go up 19-16. Consecutive kills from Hayden brought the Bears to within two points at 22-20 to force a Utes timeout. With Cal down 22-24, Utah scored the next two points to take the set.
 
The third set remained a tight game with neither team going up by more than two points throughout the first half. With the Utes up 18-17, they scored seven of the next nine points to take the set and the match.
 
UP NEXT
 
Cal stays on the road to face Utah State Friday at 5 p.m.  
 
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