California volleyball senior Mikayla Hayden picked up her first conference honor Monday as the ACC named her its Defensive Player of the Week after standout performances against No. 14 and Florida State. Hayden is the second Golden Bear to earn the award this season, following junior libero Sophia Johnson (Sept. 29).
 
In last Thursday's reverse sweep of No. 14 Miami, which was Cal's first ranked win in five seasons and its first reverse sweep over a ranked opponent since 1988, Hayden posted 12 kills on .450 hitting and 10 blocks for her second-career double-double in three matches. The Buford, Georgia, native continued her standout season with another 12 kills and six blocks against Florida State two days later for an average of 1.6 blocks per set on the weekend.
 
"Mik stayed the course this weekend and it really showed in her performance," head coach Jen Malcom said. "She came up with big-time blocks and kills when the team needed her, especially late in set five versus Miami. Her consistency as a player is a key piece to this team's success."
 
Hayden is just the third Bear to record double-digit blocks in two games within a seven-day span, joining Sylvie Monnet (Oct. 8/Oct. 15, 1983) and Ellen Orchard (Oct. 5/Oct. 12, 2007). This is the first year that multiple Cal players have been named the conference defensive player of the week since 2011, when Robin Rostratter, Kat Brown and Shannon Hawari each picked up Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors.
 
Hayden and the Bears will be back in action Friday on the road at Georgia Tech (9-8, 4-4 ACC), with first serve scheduled for 4 p.m. PT.
 
Oct. 20, 2025 – ACC Players of the Week
Offensive – Olivia Babcock, Pitt
Defensive – Mikayla Hayden, California
Setter – Averi Carlson, SMU
Freshman – Reagan Ennist, Virginia
 
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