BERKELEY – As the Cal volleyball team tries to lay the foundation for success after a couple of tough seasons, the Golden Bears' coaching staff keeps reminding their student-athletes that things may get more difficult before they get better.

On Saturday night in the final match of the Molten Classic at Haas Pavilion, things got difficult and better all in the same evening.

The Bears dropped the first two sets then raced back for a thrilling victory, squeezing out a 20-25, 20-25, 25-21, 25-22, 15-7 victory over UC Riverside.

"We are still a work in progress," Cal coach Rich Feller said. "Hopefully we won't put ourselves in this position as often, but overall I couldn't be happier with the outcome, obviously. But it's going to keep getting harder."

Negotiating any obstacles that may lie ahead will certainly be made smoother if senior middle blocker Jenelle Jordan can sustain the play she exhibited this weekend. After posting 11 kills at a .786 hitting percentage during a sweep of Southern Utah on Friday, Jordan put down a career-high 14 kills at a .542 clip on Saturday. For the tournament, she averaged 3.13 kills per set and hit .632 and was named the Molten Classic most valuable player.

"Jenelle is the biggest motivation for every single person on the court," said junior outside hitter Christine Alftin, who had a career-high 19 kills and was also named to the all-tournament team. "It does wonders for everyone every time she puts down a kill on the 10-foot line. It makes everyone try harder. We always talk about wanting to pass the ball so Jenelle can get a kill."

Senior libero Maddy Kerr had 30 digs for the Bears (2-0), the second 30-dig match of her career and three short of the school record that she co-holds along with Jillian Davis. Freshman opposite hitter Bailee Huizenga had 13 kills and senior setter Alyssa Jensen finished with 57 assists.

Kerr was also named to the all-tourney team.

After dropping the first two sets, the Bears trailed for much of the third before finally taking a 19-18 lead on a block by Alftin and sophomore middle blocker Belen Castillo. The Highlanders tied it back up at 21-21 before Cal scored the final four points of the set to close it out.

It was also tight for most of the fourth set, with the score tied 19-19. But the Bears scored three in a row, including a kill by Huizenga and block by Jordan and freshman Maddie Haynes. Cal easily closed out the set from there, and rolled to the win in the fifth.

"It really shows the fight that we have, and that really anything can happen," Alftin said. "It shows us that whatever position we are put in, we can come out of it. It all has to do with our mentality."

Alftin was a huge part of the comeback, notching 15 of her kills in the final three sets at a .394 hitting percentage. She finished with a .333 hitting percentage, committing just three errors in 48 swings.

The Bears will next hit the road for the first time this season, taking part in the LBSU/UCI Mizuno Invitational next weekend. Cal opens against Long Beach State on Friday at 1 p.m.