BERKELEY, Calif. — Four Vanderbilt volleyball student-athletes reached double-digit kills, and two Dores had 20-plus digs as the Commodores fought through five sets with California but ultimately fell 3-2 (21-25, 21-25, 27-25, 25-16, 24-22) at Haas Pavilion on Wednesday night.
Reese Animashaun recorded her second double-double of the season, consisting of 17 kills and 20 digs. Three more Dores saw double-digit kills including, Kamryn Chaney with 22, a team-high and season best, Jackie Moore with 13, and Kayla Dunlap, who recorded 11. Maya Witherspoon came off the bench to add 9 kills for the Dores. Chaney led Vanderbilt (2-4) in kills for the fifth consecutive match.
Setter Isabella Bareford came just three assists shy of her career best with 59 vs. Cal. The graduate student also contributed 13 digs.
Hailee Mack and Dunlap paced Vandy on defense, producing 25 digs and 5 blocks, respectively. Moore and Chaney each added a trio of blocks.
Cal (3-2) also saw four players with 10-plus kills, led by Dominique Phills, who posted 16 kills and digs for a double-double. Other Golden Bears in double figures included Peyton DeJardin (13), Mikayla Hayden (12) and Sawyer Thomas (12). Hayden was one block shy of a double-double with 9 total blocks on the night. Natalie Lau contributed a season-best 47 assists. Four Golden Bears, including Sophia Johnson (25), Phills (16), Francesca Popescu (14) and DeJardin (11) dug 10-plus balls. Johnson’s 25 digs are a career best.
Vanderbilt took sets 1 and 2, each by a score of 25-21. The team hit at a .373 clip and had a .467 kill percentage. Chaney scored five of the Dores’ first 10 points in the first set, which Vandy never trailed. The second set was close from the start until Vanderbilt pulled away at the 20-point mark, powered by a pair of kills from Moore and a service ace by Witherspoon.
Like the first two sets, the third was neck-and-neck. Vanderbilt had Cal at match point, but the Golden Bears were able to pull out the 27-25 set win. Cal’s momentum continued in the fourth set, which it won, 25-16.
The fifth and final set went back and forth with teams reaching match point a combined 11 times. Cal eventually went on the win the set, 24-22, and the match, 3-2.
The Commodores’ road trip to California continues Friday at 6 p.m. CT with a matchup at UC Santa Barbara that will be streamed on ESPN+.
