California Rallies to Defeat Duke, 3-2

Friday, November 28

Durham, N.C.

1 PM

Duke University

5-26,2-18ACC

California

9-21,6-14ACC

California

Duke

California Rallies to Defeat Duke, 3-2

11/28/2025 5:28:00 PM | Volleyball

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DURHAM, N.C. – In the Duke volleyball team's final match of the 2025 season, the Blue Devils dropped a 3-2 (14-25, 20-25, 25-19, 26-24, 15-12) decision to California Friday afternoon.

Duke saw freshman Ashby Zubchevich (18), sophomore Taylor Williams (17) and redshirt senior Ngozi Iloh (16) log kills in the double-digits, while redshirt junior Millie Muir dished out a team-best 34 assists. Sophomore Mailinh Godschall garnered 24 digs, and Iloh led the work at the net with six denials.

The Blue Devils finish the season with a 5-16 overall record, including a 2-18 ledger in conference matches, while the Golden Bears conclude the year 9-21 overall and 6-14 in ACC contests.

How It Happened

Set One – Duke 25, California 14

The Blue Devils took the opening frame with a 25-14 decision. Duke jumped out to a 10-4 advantage before pushing its lead to 22-8 following a 12-4 run led by two aces from Williams and four kills from Zubchevich. Cal rallied by taking six of the next eight points to cut Duke's edge, 24-14, but Goss notched the final termination to seal the frame.

Set Two – Duke 25, California 20

Duke took the 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-20 triumph in set two. The Blue Devils once again jumped out to the early lead, 12-9, before Cal logged three consecutive kills to tie the set, 12-12. Duke retook the lead with a 9-4 spurt and established a 21-16 margin. Cal took four of the next five marks, but the Blue Devils closed the set with a kill from Williams, while Zubchevich notched an ace and a termination.

Set Three – Duke 19, California 25

The Golden Bears earned the third set with a 25-19 win in the third frame. Cal held the four-point lead, 14-10, but then pushed to the 23-15 lead with a 9-5 run. The Blue Devils fought back, taking four of the next five marks, seeing two kills from Iloh and one from Williams, but Cal sealed the set with a putaway.

Set Four – Duke 24, California 26

The match was evened at 2-2, as Cal came out on top in a back-and-forth frame, 26-24. The set was tied at 8-8 before Duke established a 19-14 advantage backed by two kills apiece from Iloh and Williams. Cal answered with 10 of the next 12 points, surging to a 24-21 lead. Duke logged three points to tie the frame at 24-24, but the Golden Bears notched the two final marks.

Set Five – Duke 12, California 15

The Golden Bears sealed the match with a 15-12 win in the final frame. Duke held the one-point margin, 5-4, before it went on a 5-1 rally to take a 10-5 lead. Duke responded, taking four of the next six points, led by three Williams kills. Cal logged the next two points before Duke delayed the Golden Bears' win with three straight marks, but the Golden Bears earned the final mark to round out their win.

Notes

The Blue Devils finish the season with a 5-16 overall record, including a 2-18 ledger in conference matches, while the Golden Bears conclude the year 9-21 overall and 6-14 in ACC contests.
Cal pushes out its series lead to 4-1.
Iloh recorded a career-high 16 kills, while Muir handed out a career-best 34 assists and matched her personal high with four blocks.
Williams tied her career best with 16 digs.

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