California Baptist University
UC Riverside
10/22/2026 12:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
RIVERSIDE--- It is Crosstown Showdown week in Riverside as the California Baptist University volleyball team will take on the rival UCR Highlanders in a home-and-away weekend as part of the Crosstown Showdown Series sponsored by Altura Credit Union.
Both UCR and CBU will be seeking their first conference wins of the season as the two teams have stumbled to an 0-8 start in Big West play and are both coming off losses at Cal Poly and UCSB this past weekend.
The Highlanders, like the Lancers, are looking for their first home victory as they are 0-4 this season at the SRC Arena. UCR is coached by former head Women's Volleyball Coach Branden Higa, who led the Lancers from 2012 to 2024 and amassed over 200 wins. This will be the first time the Lancers have faced Coach Higa since he took over the Highlanders program. CBU is 5-1 against the Highlanders in the DI era, with its only loss coming in the most recent matchup in 2024 in Van Dyne Gym. The Lancers have not lost at the SRC Arena since September of 1996 and will look to keep that streak alive this Friday.
Both CBU and UCR lean on their blocking to fuel their scoring, with the Lancers among the best blocking teams in the nation this year. The Lancers are the best in the conference in total blocks with 189, which is 26th in the NCAA. The Lancers are second in the Big West in blocks per set at 2.45, which ranks in the top 50 nationally. UCR is in the top 80 in the country in blocks per set at 2.31 and has two players in the top 10 in the Big West in blocks per set, Evelyn Hendrix and Zeynep Belgutay. The Lancers have four players with at least 40 blocks this season, led by sophomore Bella Breuer, who has 52 on 0.93 blocks per set.
MATCHUP INFO
CBU at UC Riverside:
DATE/TIME: Friday, October 23 @6PM
LOCATION: Riverside, CA- SRC Arena
WATCH: ESPN+
CBU vs UC Riverside:
DATE/TIME: Saturday, October 24 @6PM
LOCATION: Riverside, CA- Van Dyne Gym
WATCH: ESPN+
TICKETS: HERE
