LOGAN – The California volleyball team ended its three-match road trip with a convincing 3-1 win (25-20, 25-16, 20-25, 25-16) over Utah State at the Wayne Estes Center in Logan Friday evening. The Golden Bears (4-2) were led by Maggie Li who registered 23 kills – just one away from tying her career high. Peyton DeJardin added 14 kills.
 
"Tonight's win was big for our team's mental after a tough day yesterday," Cal head coach Jen Malcom said. "We knew this weekend would be a test for us physically and mentally and I'm proud that the team showed up today and took care of business. This is exactly what we will see in the ACC and we need to get used to it."
 
In the opening set, Sawyer Thomsen served an ace on her first attempt to give the Bears their first lead at 3-2. Li registered back-to-back kills to give Cal a 9-6 lead, but Utah State (1-3) responded with a 4-1 run to tie the set at 10-10. The Bears were able to take advantage of three straight Aggie errors to go up 15-13. Li's fifth kill of the set kept Cal in the lead at 19-16 and the Bears were able to control the remainder of the set with Mikayla Hayden posting the set-winning kill.
 
The Bears used a 6-2 run fueled by a pair of Li kills to go up 9-6 early in the second set. Another pair of Li kills gave Cal a 14-11 lead, but the Aggies responded with a 3-0 run to tie the set. The Bears responded with their own 6-1 run aided by a trio of Aggie errors and Li's 10th kill of the match to go up 20-15. Once again Cal maintained control for the rest of the set with Li nailing the set-winning kill.
 
Kate Mansfield registered consecutive points on a block and a kill to give Cal an early 5-2 lead in the third set. The Aggies responded with a 6-1 run to go up 11-9. Utah State kept the pressure on scoring six of the next eight points to increase its lead to 17-12. The Bears got back into the set with a 4-1 run capped by another Li kill to get within two points at 19-17. Cal then tied the set at 20-20 off a Natalie Lau ace. Unfortunately, the Aggies scored the next five points to take the set.
 
In the fourth set, Gianna Bartalo served an ace to aid an early Cal 5-1 run and give the Bears an 8-5 lead. Cal kept the momentum going with a 4-0 run fueled by two more Li kills to take a 12-7 advantage. The Bears never let the Aggies back into the set and cruised to the set win to take the match.
 
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Cal returns to the Bay Area to face Saint Mary's on Tuesday at 7 p.m.  
 
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