Bears Begin ACC Schedule At Louisville, Notre Dame

Cal embarks on its first conference road trip of the season this week.

VB9/25/2024 3:59 PM | By: Cal Athletics

Cal Faces Second Top-10 Team This Season In Conference Opener

 BERKELEY – California volleyball begins its inaugural slate of ACC play this week, heading east to face No. 5 Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky, Friday evening before heading to South Bend, Indiana, to take on Notre Dame Sunday morning. Both matches will be broadcast on ACCNX.
 
The Golden Bears (8-4) split their first home series of the season last week, defeating Santa Clara in straight sets before suffering a sweep at the hands of UCLA three days later. Cal posted a season-high .341 hitting percentage in the first match, in which it also knocked down a season-best seven service aces.
 
Vs. No. 5 Louisville (8-2) – Sept. 27, 4 p.m. PT (L&N Federal Credit Union Arena)
Last Meeting: Sept. 24, 1983 at Nebraska Invitational (W, 3-0)
All-Time Record: 1-0
 
The Cardinals will be the second top-10 team that the Bears have faced this year and boast six reigning All-East Region players; two of those – libero Elena Scott and outside hitter Anna DeBeer – were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Player of the Year Watch List last week, with both having earned Second-Team All-America honors in the 2023 season. Scott is currently tied for 27th in the nation, averaging 4.71 digs per set; meanwhile, 6-foot-6 senior middle blocker Cara Cresse is also ranked among the nation’s top players, tied for a 28th-place 1.39 blocks per set. As a whole, the Cardinals rank 15th in the nation with 2.89 blocks per set, and have held opponents to just .164 hitting this year. Their only two losses of the season came against top-10 teams – No. 7 Penn State and No. 5 Nebraska; however, they have also beaten No. 3 Wisconsin and No. 9 Creighton, in addition to No. 11 Kentucky and No. 15 Tennessee.
 
Vs. Notre Dame (7-2) – Sept. 29, 10 a.m. PT (Purcell Pavilion)
Last Meeting – Sept. 13, 2008 at Diet Coke Classic Tournament (W, 3-2)
All-Time Record: 3-1
 
This will be Cal’s first time playing the Fighting Irish in South Bend, with all four of the previous meetings between the teams taking place either at neutral-site tournaments or at Haas Pavilion. Notre Dame currently ranks third in…