Nov. 22, 2008
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BERKELEY - The No. 7-ranked California volleyball team (22-5, 12-4 Pac-10) honored its seniors tonight with a 3-1 drubbing of No. 10 USC (18-10, 9-8 Pac-10), 18-25, 30-28, 25-17, 25-6, at Haas Pavilion. With the win, the Golden Bears matched their highest total for conference victories in program history with two matches left on the schedule. Junior outside hitter Hana Cutura paced a Cal attack that recorded a .632 attack rate in the fourth set as she put down 22 kills to lead all players (5e, 40att, .425), and logged her 10th double-double of the season by contributing 10 digs.
The Bears avenged a 3-2 loss to USC suffered on Oct. 25 by putting up 14.5 blocks in the final three sets, outpacing the Trojans 15.5-9.0. Cal attacked at a .313 rate, getting 61 kills on 134 attempts and erring just 19 times. The Bears also forced the Women of Troy into a tough time at the net as USC attacked at a .113 rate, getting 44 kills (28e, 142att). Cal astounded onlookers as it blasted 12 kills to the floor on 19 attempts without a single error to log a .632 attack rate in the fourth set. On the other side of the net, USC earned its six points all on kills but came away with a negative .152 attack percentage (11e, 33att).
Sophomore setter Carli Lloyd helped steer the Bears in the right direction, and logged her 10th double-double of the season with 49 assists and 12 digs. She also had three kills (1e, 4att, .500) and five blocks. Following Cutura's lead, the outside hitters all did their share as senior Am'ra Solomon posted 10 kills with just two errors (26att, .308) and got up for six blocks (one solo). Freshman outside Tarah Murrey enjoyed another efficient night as she had 14 kills with just three errors (27att) and attacked at a .407 rate. Junior middle hitter Mindi Wiley tied for the team-lead with six blocks (one solo) and had seven kills (2e, 17att, .294). Senior middle Kat Reilly also had six blocks and contributed four kills (2e, 10att, .200). The Women of Troy were led by senior outside hitter Jessica Gysin, who had 13 kills and 10 digs on the night but attacked at a .114 rate (8e, 44att). USC freshman middle blocker Lauren Williams had a strong night out with 11 kills (1e, 22att, .455) but it was not enough for the Trojans.
Cal was seemingly unstoppable in the fourth set, ripping wide a 5-0 lead to force a USC timeout. Of the five Cal points, three came on blocks, and one on a kill by Murrey. Out of the timeout, the Bear attack only got stronger as it pulled out to a 10-3 lead on two consecutive attack errors by USC outside hitters. The seven-point lead wouldn't hold for long as the Bears continued the onslaught, claiming the next 11 points to go up 21-3. Two kills by Reilly pushed the lead to 23-5 before Murrey's shot served up set point at 24-5. One more kill by USC's junior setter Taylor Carico would be all the Trojans could manage as Cal sealed the deal with the final point. The Bears were unconscionable in the final set, routing the Trojans 25-6, and going without error.
When Cutura blasted a shot to the floor to give the Bears a 6-5 lead in the third set, the tide had turned. The Bears faced three ties leading to that kill, but used that point to spark a 6-0 run. A kill by USC freshman outside hitter Alex Jupiter ended Cal's run but the Bears responded by getting out in front by as many as ten points when Murrey killed a ball from the opposite side to give Cal the 20-10 lead. Murrey took a set from junior libero Kristen Kathan after Cutura dug up an incredible shot to notch a kill that gave Cal set point at 24-16. She later returned the favor by putting up the set that Cutura killed to close out the third stanza, 25-17. The Bears attacked at a .448 rate in the third set, getting 17 kills (4e) on 29 attempts; USC had 10 kills (5e, 26att) and hit at a .192 rate.
The second set opened up as a heated struggle with seven tied scores up to nine-all before USC broke away with three straight points to claim a 12-9 advantage. Cal stayed close by getting two kills each from Wiley and Cutura and got to within a point when USC committed a net violation to make it 17-16. The Trojans fought on however, and ripped off six consecutive points to take a 23-16 lead. Solomon's kill stopped the bleeding momentarily but USC claimed set point at 24-17 when a Wiley attack went wide. The Bear attack would not be denied as Wiley made good on the next play, connecting with Lloyd on a quick set for a kill. The Trojans faltered as an attack went wide before Wiley blasted another shot to the floor. A kill by Murrey off a cross-court set pulled the Bears to within two at 24-22.
On the next play, Murrey went head-to-head with USC's Williams at the net and forced the only error of the night on the Trojan freshman as she claimed a solo block. Already on a roll, Murrey continued to push as she took the next two kills to put the Bears up 25-24, completed a 9-1 Cal run. The Trojans came right back though and had set point at 26-25 when Jupiter blasted a shot off Kathan but Cal had another answer; and another. Knotted up a 28-all, Cutura tapped a ball to the back left-hand corner of the USC court to put Cal up 29-28 before she herself blasted a ball straight at Jupiter, who's dig attempt flew helplessly into the Cal student section. Cutura's 14th kill of the night knotted the match up at one set each heading into the break. The Bears took home 21 kills on 46 attacks in the second set (7e) and attacked at a .304 rate while USC had 16 kills (7e, 48att) and had a .188 attack percentage.
What started off as a strong offensive first set for the Bears went south when the Women of Troy erased a two-point deficit to go in front by four on the serves of Carico. The 6-1 run put USC up 20-16. The Bears managed just two more points in the set, one from a USC error and one from a kill by Solomon. The Bears had 11 kills on 40 attacks to hit at a .075 rate (8e) in the first set; the Trojans had 12 kills with five errors on 35 attacks (.200).
The Bears complete the regular season on the road with matches at Oregon and Oregon State. Cal will face the Beavers in a 4:30 p.m. (PT) match on Wednesday, Nov. 26 in Corvallis, Ore. before clashing with No. 8 Oregon in Eugene, Ore. on Friday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m.
