No. 9 Bears Bested By No. 1 TCU, No. 6 GCU

BVB3/24/2023 7:12 PM | By: Cal Athletics

Cal Loses Back-To-Back Matches For The First Time

FORT WORTH, Texas – The No. 9 California beach volleyball team (12-5) suffered back-to-back losses on day one of the Fight in The Fort tournament. The Golden Bears fell 4-1 to host No. 1 TCU (18-0) before dropping a heartbreaking 3-2 match to No. 6 Grand Canyon (13-4).
 
No. 1 TCU 4, No. 9 Cal 1
The undefeated Horned Frogs showed why they are the nation’s top seed earning wins on the lower three courts in straight sets to claim their 17^th-straight win of the season. The Bears duo of senior Lexi McKeown and junior Natalie Martin kept their match close on court four but ultimately fell 21-19, 21-18.
 
The court-two pairing of junior Liz Waters-Leiga and sophomore Sierra Caffo was determined to take a match off the top team and prevent Cal from being swept for the first time this season. The two transfers captured the first set 21-17 leading most of the way but were forced to battle to seal the win. The second frame went deep into extra points with the Bears staving off multiple set points, but with a set point of their own at 29-28, Waters-Leiga drew her defender middle and dropped a perfect ball up the sideline.
 
It was the ninth win of the year for Waters-Leiga and Caffo as they improved to 3-0 on court two.

That’s how we do 2s! ??@sierracaffo and @lizwatersleiga stave off multiple set points and win it 30-28! ??#GoBears ??| #BeachBears?? pic.twitter.com/XG494CRBwZ

— Cal Beach Volleyball (@CalBeachVB) March 24, 2023

 
1. Daniela Alvarez/Tania Moreno (TCU) def. Ashley Delgado/Ainsley Radell (CAL) 21-13, 21-12
2. Sierra Caffo/Liz Waters-Leiga (CAL) def. Sutton MacTavish/Ana Vergara (TCU) 21-17, 30-28
3. Kate Privett/Anhelina Khmil (TCU) def. Maya Gessner/Ella Dreibholz (CAL) 21-14, 21-12
4. Maria Gonzalez/Hailey Hamlett (TCU) def. Lexi McKeown/Natalie Martin (CAL) 21-19, 21-18
5. Rochelle Scott/Hailey Brockett (TCU) def. Alex Young-Gomez/Brooke Buchner (CAL) 21-15, 21-12
Ext. Josie Sek/Luana Araco (TCU) def. Ava Mann/Marilu Pally (CAL) 22-20, 21-15
Order of finish: 5,4,3*,2,1
 
No. 6 GCU 3, No. 9 Cal 2
Cal was on a mission in its second match of the day with the sixth-ranked Lopes, getting out to a hot start in search of its second top-10 of the season. The new court-five pairing of junior Brooke Buchner and sophomore Alex Young-Gomez were off the sand in a hurry winning 21-13, 21-15 to put the Bears up…