Bears Head To No. 1 Pitt, No. 12 SMU

This will be the first time this season that Cal has faced top-25 teams in consecutive matches.

The 2024 California volleyball team will head on its toughest road trip yet this weekend, first traveling to Pittsburgh to face No. 1 Pitt Friday at 4 p.m. PT before flying to Dallas to match up against No. 12 SMU Sunday at 11 a.m. Both matches will be broadcast on ACCNX.
 
Last weekend, the Golden Bears (10-8, 2-4 ACC) suffered a reverse sweep at the hands of Boston College before earning a reverse sweep of its own the next day against Syracuse. Libero Gianna Bartalo averaged 5.7 digs per set on the weekend and posted the 14th 30-dig performance in program history in the match against the Orange, while Xuemeng (Maggie) Li, Natalie Lau and Peyton DeJardin each recorded a double-double on both days.
 
Cal currently ranks first in ACC play in both total digs (380) and digs per set (16.52).
 
Vs. No. 1 Pitt (15-1, 5-1)
Last Meeting: Dec. 11, 1981 (AIAW Tournament @ Tallahassee, Fla. – Pitt won 2-1)
All-Time Record: 0-1
 
The Panthers won their first 36 sets to start the year and lead the nation in team hitting percentage (.343, .310 in ACC play) and opponent hitting percentage (.107, .069 ACC); they also rank fourth in service aces per set (2.27), 15th in kills per set (13.86), 17th in blocks per set (2.75) and 19th in assists per set (12.94). Pitt is led by reigning American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Freshman of the Year Olivia Babcock, who has set a blistering pace of 0.81 service aces per set (second best in the nation), as well as 4.25 kills per set (30th NCAA) with 204 total kills. The star-studded roster also includes outside hitter Torrey Stafford, who is hitting .409 on the year at 4.26 kills per set for a top-30 ranking in both categories, and setter Rachel Fairbanks, who has the 20th-best assist pace in the nation with 10.52 per set. All three were named to the inaugural AVCA Division I Player of the Year Watch List in September.
 
Vs. No. 12 SMU (13-4, 5-1)
Last Meeting: Sept. 14, 2002 (@ SMU Doubletree Invitational) – Cal won 3-0
All-Time Record: 1-0
 
The Mustangs are riding high from a Saturday 3-2 victory over No. 1 Pitt – the only team to defeat the Panthers this year – and have proven incredibly dangerous with three sweeps over top-25 teams this…