Cal Plays No. 5 Stanford In Two Big Spike Matchups

The Bears will play their third- and fourth-straight top-25 matchups in a row this week with two against No. 5 Stanford.

VB10/21/2024 4:22 PM | By: Cal Athletics

Bears Welcome Cardinal To Haas Pavilion On Wednesday; Travel To The Farm On Friday

California volleyball will play its chief rival twice this week for a pair of Big Spike showdowns, first hosting No. 5 Stanford on Wednesday night at Haas Pavilion then traveling south to Maples Pavilion in Stanford on Friday evening. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on ACCNX.
 
Last weekend, the Golden Bears (10-10, 2-6 ACC) suffered a sweep at the hands of No. 1 Pitt and lost to No. 12 SMU in four after taking the first set. Fifth-year senior Gianna Bartalo reached 100 career aces against the Mustangs, while senior Ellie Hamm and sophomore Sawyer Thomsen each recorded seven blocks in that match with Hamm setting a new season best and Thomsen matching her career high.
 
Vs./At No. 5 Stanford (14-3, 6-2)
Last Meeting: Nov. 4, 2023 (at Stanford – Stanford won 3-0)
All-Time Record: Stanford leads 85-13
Current Streak: Stanford won last 7
 
The Cardinal ranks in the nation’s top 20 in hitting percentage (.283 – 15th), kills per set (13.83 – 18th) and assists per set (12.92 – 18th). Its stacked 2024 résumé includes wins over No. 18 Minnesota, No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 24 Marquette, No. 6 Texas, No. 11 Kentucky and No. 12 SMU. Its only losses have come to top-5 teams (sweeps by No. 5 Nebraska, No. 5 Louisville and No. 1 Pitt).
 
Two Stanford players are featured on this year’s American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division I Player of the Year Watch List. Senior setter Kami Miner, a two-time AVCA All-American and three-time ACC Setter of the Week, ranks 25th in the nation with 10.45 assists per set on the year while her 10.46 average in conference play tops the ACC by a large margin. Junior outside hitter Elia Rubin was named All-Pac-12 in each of the past two years and is currently putting together another impressive season with a 3.98 kill-per-set average (.256) and 2.34 digs per set. Defensively, the Cardinal also field a serious threat in 6-foot-6 middle blocker Sami Francis, who averages 1.45 blocks per set and was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 16 after a weekend in…