BERKELEY – The California volleyball team faced its third top-25 opponent of the season Friday night, hosting No. 6 Louisville in a battle of ACC foes that were both undefeated in conference play. Only one could be left standing at the end of the day, however, and it was the Cardinals that triumphed (25-16, 25-5, 25-16) to improve to 11-2 (3-0 ACC) on the year while the Golden Bears fell to 5-8 (2-1).
 
Haas Pavilion fielded its largest crowd of the year as the program officially retired the jersey of 2010 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Player of the Year Carli Lloyd, who led the Bears to a pair of NCAA Final Four appearances and earned three AVCA All-America honors during her stellar collegiate career.
 
Freshman Maria Știrbu posted her third double-double of the year with 21 assists and 10 digs, leading the Bears in both categories; she and Mikayla Hayden, who led Cal with five kills, tied for a team-high three blocks. Dominique Phills posted two service aces, her first of the season.
 
The Cardinals were led by Chloe Chicoine, who recorded six of her 13 kills in the first set alone, and Cara Cresse, who earned nine kills and four blocks.
 
Cherlin Antonio scored the first point of the match on a kill as the Bears jumped out to a 6-3 lead, but Louisville eventually found its footing and responded with a 10-1 scoring run to claim the advantage for good. Freshman Arissa Carbonara came off the bench and was responsible for three-straight points late in the set to cut Cal's deficit to five (21-16), but the Cardinals scored the next four points off a kill and three consecutive errors from the Bears to claim the set.
 
Set Two was all Louisville from the get-go, its defense locking down Cal to keep the Bears from scoring more than one point in a row on the way to a 20-point win. Sawyer Thomsen came alive in the final set, posting four kills on .500 hitting, but the Cardinals' Payton Peterson was ready with seven kills of her own to help the visitors stay ahead and eventually take the win.
 
 
UP NEXT
The Bears welcome Notre Dame (4-7, 1-2) to Haas Pavilion on Sunday afternoon, with first serve scheduled for 1 p.m. PT.
 
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