Sept. 24, 2010
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TUCSON, Ariz. - Behind junior outside hitter Tarah Murrey's career-high 28 kills, the No. 8-ranked California volleyball team (11-0, 1-0 Pac-10) claimed its first Pac-10 win in a five-set victory (20-25, 23-25, 26-24, 25-22, 17-15) over Arizona (10-3, 0-1 Pac-10) at the McKale Memorial Center on Friday, Sept. 24. The Golden Bears fell behind by two sets for the first time this season but responded to earn its first five-set victory since a Nov. 7, 2009 win at Washington to stay undefeated.
Murrey logged her fourth double-double of the year as she added 11 digs to her 28-kill (8e, 62att, .323) night. Sophomore libero Robin Rostratter also had a career night as she put up 27 digs for the Bears. Senior setter Carli Lloyd posted her third double-double this season with 55 assists and 10 digs. Lloyd also tacked on a service ace and seven kills (1e, 14att, .429) to help the Bears post a .293 hitting percentage (71k, 22e, 167att).
Freshman outside hitter Adrienne Gehan continued to show improvement as she registered a new career mark with 14 kills (4e, 33att, .303). Cal also got a boost from the play of sophomore opposite hitter Correy Johnson, who had 11 kills (4e, 22att, .318). Sophomore middle hitter Shannon Hawari led the team with six blocks and added seven kills to the Bear attack (1e, 13att, .462).
Arizona's offense also had 71 kills (23e, 177att, .271) as it got 25 (5e, 57att, .351) from outside hitter Tiffany Owens and 22 (8e, 49att, .286) from outside Whitney Dosty. Each of the Wildcat seniors logged double-doubles as Owens led the team with 13 digs while Dosty had 12. Sophomore middle hitter Cursty Jackson was efficient with 13 kills (2e, 19att, .579) and led the Cats with six blocks. Senior setter Paige Weber paced the Arizona attack with a match-high 61 assists.
The Bears held the lead for just four points in the first set. Arizona pulled the set into its sixth tie at 10-all on a kill and ran ahead by five at 15-10 as Weber registered two straight service aces. Cal could only get within three points at 20-17 on a cross-court kill by Johnson; and again at 23-20 as Brown earned a point on a quick-set from Lloyd. Arizona didn't relent and claimed the opening set, 25-20, on a kill off an overplayed dig. The Bears surrendered a .353 hitting percentage as the Wildcats earned 16 kills on 34 attacks (4e). Cal recorded 11 kills on 30 attacks (5e) for a .200 attack rate.
Cal came out firing in the second set and raced out to a 5-2 lead, but the Wildcats replied to go in front, 9-8, as Weber dumped a pass for the point. Arizona rolled out to a six-point lead at 23-17 as Weber led a trio of blockers up against Murrey to block the Cal attacker. The Bears ripped off a 6-1 run to pull just one point behind the Cats at 24-23 as Hawari earned a kill on an overplayed ball, but a Cal error put Arizona up, 2-0, in the match. The Bears put up 15 kills (5e, 35att) for a .286 attack rate but couldn't keep pace with a Wildcat attack that earned a .351 rate with 16 kills (3e) on 37 attacks.
The teams traded barbs to a sixth tie at six all in the third set as a Dosty cut shot earned the kill. The Cats went up by two points at 10-8, and again at 14-12, but the Bears pulled the set into its 11th tie as Murrey took a kill out of the back row and Arizona committed an error. The Bears went in front, 19-18, when Hawari connected on a slide play with a Lloyd set but the Cats went in front by two points again at 22-20 on a service ace by junior outside Courtney Karst. A Murrey kill and a block solo by Gehan put the teams in their 17th tie of the set at 22-all. The Bears owned two more leads before two straight Arizona errors gave Cal the third set, 26-24. The Bears got 13 kills (7e, 39att) for a .154 attack rate and held the Cats to a .070 hitting percentage on 43 attempts (13k, 10e).
Again, the teams traded points to open the fourth set, but four straight Cal kills--three by Murrey--ripped open a 7-4 lead. The Bears earned three kills and a service ace through the heart of the set to gain an 11-6 lead as Hawari crushed a quick set to the ground for the point. Cal pushed and gained an eight-point advantage as Gehan blasted a cross-court shot for a kill. The Cats were down but not out as they put on a run to pull within two points at 24-22 on a kill by Owens. Lloyd dumped her next pass for a kill to give the Bears a 25-22 win in the fourth. The Bears posted 21 kills (3e) on 39 attacks for a .462 attack rate while the Wildcats held fast with a .371 hitting performance (15k, 2e, 35att).
Cal gained the first edge in the final set as Lloyd and Hawari teamed up to return a Dosty attack for a 7-5 lead. The Cats battled back to tie the set for the ninth time as Jackson got the kill. Arizona took the next two-point lead at 13-11 as Owens recorded two straight kills, but the Bears tied things up at 13-all as Murrey pushed a ball off the Wildcat block. Arizona earned the first match-point serve at 14-13, but the Bears kept on fighting back to grab the final lead at 16-15 when Hawari and Johnson blocked an attack by Karst. On the next play, Murrey flew in from the left side to terminate the match with a cross-court kill. The Bears had 11 kills (2em 24att, .375) in the final stanza. Arizona logged a .250 hitting percentage with 11 kills (4e) 28att.
Cal has a day off from competition before a clash with Arizona State (5-8) in a 12:30 p.m. PT match on Sunday, Sept. 26, at the Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Ariz. The Sun Devils fell in four sets (25-23, 27-25, 23-25, 25-21) to No. 1 Stanford earlier tonight.
