Syracuse University
11-4,3-2ACC
California
5-10,2-3ACC
Orange Top Cal at Home, 3-1
10/10/2025 9:29:00 PM | Volleyball
The Syracuse University volleyball team (11-4, 3-2 ACC) defeated the California Golden Bears 3-1 (25-21, 25-22, 24-26, 28-26) on Friday evening at the Women's Building. Gabby McLaughlin dominated with a match-high 21 kills while Tehya Maeva orchestrated the offense with 36 assists as Syracuse bounced back from a third-set loss to close out the match in dramatic fashion. The victory marks Syracuse's first-ever win over California.
McLaughlin led a balanced Syracuse attack, hitting .218 with her 21 kills while adding six digs and two service aces. Skylar George contributed 11 kills and seven digs, while Sydnie Waller chipped in nine kills on a .192 hitting percentage. Defensively, Rana Yamada anchored the back row with 14Â digs. The Orange dominated at the service line with nine aces, including two each from McLaughlin, George and Zharia Harris-Waddy. Soana Lea'ea was strong at the net, posting five blocks in the win. Syracuse handled the serve well as well, with Cal posting just one ace in the match.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Syracuse controlled the opening set from start to finish, never trailing after taking an early 6-4 lead. The Orange used a strong service game and balanced offense to pull away down the stretch, taking the first set 25-21. McLaughlin recorded six kills in the frame while Maeva distributed to multiple attackers effectively.
The second set featured more back-and-forth action with multiple lead changes. Syracuse opened the set on a 9-2 run, but the Golden Bears would go on to answer with a 9-2 run of their own to tie things up at 11 points apiece. The two squads went blow-for-blow the rest of the way, until the Orange eventually pulled away to take a 25-22 set win.
California fought off elimination in the third set, rallying from multiple deficits to take the frame 26-24. The Golden Bears used a late surge, scoring the final six points behind strong play from Mikayla Hayden and Ashley Li at the net to extend the match.
The fourth set was a thriller that featured 11 ties and multiple lead changes. Neither team could pull away as the set went deep into extra points. With the score knotted at 26-26, Syracuse got a crucial kill from Maeva before McLaughlin hammered home the match-winning kill to seal the victory, 28-26.
NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS
- Gabby McLaughlin led all players with 21 kills on 55 attacks, hitting .218 with six digs and two aces.
- Skylar George posted her eighth double-digit kill performance of the season with 11 kills.
- Tehya Maeva dished out 36 assists and added 13 digs for her own double-double.
- Rana Yamada recorded a team-high 14Â digs while adding one service ace.
- Syracuse totaled nine service aces compared to just one for California.
- Soana Lea'ea contributed five kills and five blocks for the Orange.
- The win improves Syracuse to 11-4 overall and 3-2 in ACC play.
UP NEXT
The Orange will shift their attention to #6 Stanford. The Orange and Stanford will meet at 1 PM at the Women's Building on Sunday, October 12.
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