MANHATTAN BEACH – The No. 10 California beach volleyball team once again demonstrated that it's among the nation's elite this season, blanking FIU 5-0 and falling 3-2 in a tight dual against No. 5 Texas on the final day of the East Meets West Invitational at the Manhattan Beach Pier on Saturday.

The Golden Bears (11-5) didn't drop a set in blanking the Panthers, who are perennially a highly competitive program nationally. FIU has finished the season ranked five times since 2016 and qualified for the NCAA Championships twice during that span.

Cal's dual against the Longhorns, who also defeated the Bears 3-2 during the season-opening Outrigger DUKE Kahanamoku Beach Classic in Honolulu, featured three sets that went into extra points. After Texas won on Court 4, the Bears' No. 2 pair of Grace Hong and Marilu Pally went overtime in the deciding third set before the Longhorns' Anna Pavelkova and Kacka Pavelkova prevailed, 18-21, 21-19, 20-18.

Cal's No. 3 pair of Gia Fisher and Ava Haughy also got locked in a marathon with the Longhorns' Emma Grace Robertson and Lily Davis, splitting the first two sets before finally triumphing, 21-19, 16-21, 21-19. Fisher and Haughy won all four of their matches over the weekend in Manhattan Beach, with three victories going the distance to three sets. Fisher and Haughy are now 14-3 on the season.

Cal's No. 1 pair of Emma Donley and Portia Sherman had a rare set go into the 30s, going back and forth with Texas' Brecht Piersma and Katie Hashman before finally posting a 34-32, 21-15 win. Donley and Sherman are now 15-1 on the season, with 11 victories coming against top pairs from nationally ranked opponents.

As a team, the Bears are 6-6 against ranked foes this season, with five of the losses coming by a 3-2 score.

Cal returns to the road next week to take part in the Death Volley Invitational at LSU.

 
No. 10 California 5, FIU 0
No. 1: Emma Donley/Portia Sherman (Cal) def. Katarina Drozd/Brianna Luoma, 21-18, 21-12
No. 2: Marilu Pally/Grace Hong (Cal) def. Hanna Gubik/Nicole Robison, 21-18, 21-17
No. 3: Gia Fisher/Ava Haughy (Cal) def. Isabella Pereira/Kendra Brown, 21-11, 21-12
No. 4: Jenna Colligan/Mila Vugrincic (Cal) def. Elizabeth Nye/Hailey Prodan, 21-12, 21-11
No. 5: Elle Evers/Savanna Lau (Cal) def. Sarah Boyle/Annelise Alvarez, 21-8, 21-12
 
No. 5 Texas 3, No. 10 California 2
No. 1: Emma Donley/Portia Sherman (Cal) def. Brecht Piersma/Katie Hashman, 34-32, 21-15
No. 2: Anna Pavelkova/Kacka Pavelkova (UT) def. Grace Hong/Marilu Pally, 18-21, 21-19, 20-18
No. 3: Gia Fisher/Ava Haughy (Cal) def. Emma Grace Robertson/Lily Davis, 21-19, 16-21, 21-19
No. 4: Chloe Charles/Eva Lisa Kuivonen (UT) def. Mila Vugrincic/Jenna Colligan, 21-16, 21-12
No. 5: Noa Sonneville/Karin Zolnercikova (UT) def. Elle Evers/Savanna Lau, 21-19, 21-17
 

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