California volleyball secured a straight-set victory over San Francisco on Sunday, closing out its opening weekend at Haas Pavilion. The Golden Bears improved their all-time record against the Dons to 38-2 with scores of 29-27, 25-16, and 25-16.
Cal posted a .252 hitting percentage compared to San Francisco’s .081. Senior Mikayla Hayden led with 12 kills and matched her career best with eight blocks. Freshman Arissa Carbonara contributed 10 kills for the second consecutive match, while senior Peyton DeJardin recorded three aces and a team-high 11 digs.
Senior setter Natalie Lau surpassed the 1,000-career assists milestone in the second set, ending the match with 1,010 total assists after posting six kills on seven attempts without errors. The game also marked season debuts for Sophie Scott and Grace Agolli following injuries that sidelined them for all of last year.
“Obviously, I was really excited – I was always ready to go,” Scott said. “I put in a lot of time and effort off the court, I’ve been working my butt off, so it was just a surreal feeling to be back out there with my team.”
The first set featured close competition with Cal overcoming multiple lead changes before clinching it through key plays from Dominique Phills and Hayden. In the second set, Cal started strong with an early run and maintained control despite brief rallies by San Francisco. Lau sealed the set with her fourth kill.
San Francisco took an early lead in the third set but was overtaken by an extended Cal run. The Bears maintained their advantage through solid defense and efficient offense before DeJardin ended the match.
Sophia Johnson was named tournament MVP as part of the All-Tournament Team alongside teammate Natalie Lau; other honorees included Zara Lawson from San Diego State and Anica Bobic from San Francisco.
Next weekend, California will compete at the Ameritas Players Challenge in Lincoln, Nebraska against Wright State and top-ranked Nebraska.
