BERKELEY, Calif. -- Despite a win at No. 1 from the Hornets' Madeline Cannon and Morgan Stanley, Sacramento State's beach volleyball squad lost at 11th-ranked Cal this afternoon, 4-1, at the Clark Kerr Sand Courts.
The loss dropped the Hornets to 3-2 while Cal, which was playing its home opener, remained perfect this season at 7-0.
Cannon and Stanley beat Cal's Bryce Bark and Mia Merino by a 22-20, 21-19 score. The duo of Cannon/Stanley has played all five matches at No. 1 this season and now own a 4-1 record. However, that was the only win the Hornets would get against the nationally ranked Bears this afternoon as each of the other four matches were lost by Sacramento State in straight sets.
At No. 2, Lexie Skalbeck and Courtney Dietrich fell, 21-8, 21-12. Dietrich was filling in for the injured Shannon Boyle as the combination of Skalbeck/Boyle had played together each of the first four matches of the season prior to today.
Kennedy Kurtz/Sarah Davis at No. 3 (21-13, 21-15), Brie Gathright/Skyler Takeda at No. 4 (21-12, 21-12) and Lana Brown/Hannah Meadows at No. 5 (21-15, 21-11) also lost for Sacramento State.
The Hornets will take a week off before playing in a tournament in Huntington Beach on April 1-2. During the two-day event, Sacramento State will play four times.
