The Bears got swept in their second weekend of ACC conference games, losing 0-3 to both No. 5 Louisville and Notre Dame. Cal started strong in both games, but the Cardinals and the Fighting Irish consistently gained point streaks that the Bears couldn’t match. 

“We all know that we have the skills, but sometimes, something in our mindset or just our mental part (doesn’t) work as we want it to,”said freshman setter Maria Știrbu.

The first set of Friday’s match began with the teams passing points until Louisville took the lead from a mix of quick hits and Cal defensive errors. The Cardinals continued their lead and won 16-25. 

Louisville junior outside hitter Chloe Chicoine led her team with 13 total kills and helped contribute to its 0.384 hitting percentage. The Bears’ inability to block Chicoine’s spikes explains why they failed to catch up to the Cardinals’ points.

The Cards continued their sweep of the Bears in the second set, with Cal only managing to gain a paltry five points to Louisville’s 25. It was the lowest point total and greatest margin of defeat in a set for the Bears this season; even against No. 1 Nebraska, they managed to score more. 

“Our offense struggled really hard,” Știrbu said. “We started (strong), but then in the second set, they knew really (well) what we were going to do. It was really hard to get out of some rotations.”

The third set began better for Cal, who managed to keep up with Louisville’s energy. The volleys became prolonged as the Bears met the Cardinals’ hits and increased their hustle — freshman Arissa Carbonara even ran into the bleachers for a ball and sophomore Dominique Phills scored two aces in a row, her first of the season. 

The energy in Haas Pavilion rose as the home team continued to fight back against its red opponents. At match point, 15-24, Cal managed to score once more before Louisville dumped the ball in an open spot and won.

The first set against Notre Dame seemed to tell a different story — one that would favor Cal. The Irish started the game with an ace, but the Bears quickly turned it around and took the lead. Senior outside hitter Peyton DeJardin immensely helped the Bears with eight of her nine total kills coming in the first set. 

But soon, through blocks and Bear errors, Notre Dame caught up and evened the score, 18-18. The tension in the air increased as the Irish began to hit the ball more aggressively. After Cal missed a block, Notre Dame got the ball back, secured a kill and won the set 25-23. 

“If we could have kept that energy and mentality throughout the game, we could have at least won one set,” Știrbu said. “But because we lost that set, it was harder for us to get back.”

The Irish took a 5-point lead in the beginning of the second set from a mix of kills and service errors by the Bears. Cal continued to fight, but once the set reached match point at 17-24, Notre Dame outside hitter Sydney Helmers landed the final kill. 

The final set followed the same pattern as the previous sets — Notre Dame created an early lead and never looked back, reaching a final score of 25-14. The Fighting Irish’s success was evident in their 0.353% hitting percentage, more than triple Cal’s 0.115%, and their total of 20 blocks compared to Cal’s three. 

“They (kept) fighting. They never let their guard down,” Știrbu said. “That’s why we struggled.” 

The Bears, now 5-9 on the season, will compete in their next pair of games on the road. Cal will travel to Syracuse on Oct. 10 and Boston College on Oct. 12.