PULLMAN, Wash. – In a difficult season in which losses on the court started extending to losses of personnel, the Cal volleyball team was left with only one option Wednesday night.
Fight for each other.
The Bears only traveled 13 of the allowable 15 players to Pullman for its match against Washington State after outside hitters Ashten Smith-Gooden (injury) and Christine Alftin (sick) had to stay back in Berkeley. Then outside hitter Nikki Gombar twice had to leave Wednesday's match with injuries.
Cal, which entered the night with just one win in Pac-12 play this season, somehow found a way to sweep the Cougars, 25-23, 25-23, 25-22 at Bohler Gymnasium.
“We did a good job of battling adversity when it really counted,” said Cal junior middle blocker Lillian Schonewise, who had 10 kills and hit .368 for the match. “We said multiple times before and during the match that all we have is the 13 players that are here. There's nothing else we can do.”
The Bears (10-19, 2-17 Pac-12) lost their first 14 conference matches this season before finally beating No. 21 USC on Nov. 14. Cal then dropped three more before traveling to Pullman.
The Cougars (10-21, 1-18) are also having a difficult season, but have been extremely competitive in Pac-12 play. They have taken six ranked conference opponents to five sets and Wednesday marked just the fourth time this year they were swept in Pac-12 action.
“Better late than never,” Schonewise said. “It means something to come out and sweep a team on the road. We didn't have all of our normal guns going, so it showed a lot.”
The Bears themselves have been competitive much of the time in Pac-12 play. Six times they have won the first set against a conference opponent but ended up dropping the match. They won at least one set in 10 of their Pac-12 defeats.
While oftentimes Cal has kept it close for much of the set only to fall at the end, Wednesday the Bears erased late deficits in all three sets to register the victory.
“It was wonderful to see the team come together like that,” Cal coach Rich Feller said. “We put pressure on them. We really focused on the things we needed to do. I felt our coaching staff did a great job coaching and advising, and our team did a great job of responding.”
Gombar twisted her ankle with Washington St. leading 15-14 in the first set. Sophomore Jenelle Jordan, usually a middle blocker, had to come in and play outside hitter and immediately put down a kill on the next point. Gombar returned for the second set but had to return to the bench after suffering a laceration on her forehead when she collided with freshman Antzela Dempi.
Sophomore Sabrina Blackwell, who made her college debut at the Molten Classic in September and has appeared in just five career sets, was part of the Bears' travel roster for the first time this season and got into a match for the first time since the Pac-12 opener at Stanford on Sept. 23. She entered the match with Cal trailing 18-16 in the third set and the Bears immediately scored a point on her serve. She also helped Cal's offense with her passing.
“When you're down numbers, that's why you bring people,” Feller said. “It turned out that it worked really well.”
Senior outside hitter Christina Higgins led the Bears with 14 kills while Dempi had a career-high 10 kills and four blocks. Junior middle blocker Lara Vukasovic added six kills and seven blocks. Junior defensive specialist Sarah Cole came up with 12 digs.
“We had people in positions they're not even used to practicing where they haven't played in a match all year,” Schonewise said. “It was impressive to see how well everyone responded. I'm really proud of how everyone played this evening.”
The Bears close out the 2014 season Friday with the Big Spike against No. 1 Stanford at Haas Pavilion at 3 p.m. Cal will honor Higgins and fellow senior Marlee Davis in a pre-match ceremony.
