GULF SHORES, Ala. – Another remarkable California beach volleyball season came to a close Saturday as the No. 8 Golden Bears fell 3-1 to No. 1 Stanford in the quarterfinals of the 2026 NCAA Championship.

Cal's No. 1 pair of senior Portia Sherman and Emma Donley – the program's all-time winningest duo for a single season and career – capped off their partnership with a straight-set victory over the Cardinal's Kelly Belardi and Avery Jackson. Sherman and Donley closed out the season with a record of 31-5 and finished with a career mark of 59-12 – all as the Bears' top pair.

Cal (24-14) pushed two other matches to three sets against Stanford. The Bears' No. 5 duo of graduate Mia Yarich and sophomore Bella Adishian lost the first set 15-21 before coming back to win by the same score. They ultimately fell 15-6 in the third set to end the dual.

Senior Gia Fisher and Ava Haughy cruised to a dominant first-set victory but were trailing 21-11, 16-21, 7-13 when Stanford finished off the victory.

Sherman leaves Cal ranked second on the program's all-time wins list as an individual with 86.

The Bears' 24 victories this season is tied for the fourth-most in program history. They advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for the third time in five years and will finish the season ranked in AVCA Collegiate Beach top 10 for the fifth season in succession.

Cal's eight seniors – Donley, Fisher, Yarich, Marilu Pally, Mila Vugrincic, Jenna Colligan, Finley Rollins and Madison Oriskovich – contributed to 102 victories. The Bears have won at least 20 duals for five straight seasons and eight of the last nine non-COVID years.

 
No. 1 Stanford 3, No. 8 California 1
No. 1: Portia Sherman/Emma Donley (Cal) def. Kelly Belardi/Avery Jackson, 21-15, 21-18
No. 2: Brooke Rockwell/Ruby Sorra (Stan) def. Marilu Pally/Grace Hong, 21-14, 21-14
No. 3: Charlotta Bell/Logan Tusher (Stan) def. Mila Vugrincic/Jenna Colligan, 21-14, 21-14
No. 4: Indigo Clarke/Clara Stowell (Stan) led Gia Fisher/Ava Haughy, 11-21, 21-16, 13-7, unf.
No. 5: Elena Fisher/Chloe Hoffman (Stan) def. Mila Yarich/Bella Adishian, 21-15, 15-21, 15-6


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