BERKELEY – Cal freshman setter Isabel Potter stands only 5-foot-9, but presented with the opportunity to play in the front row Friday night, she didn't seem to be too concerned.

"I wanted to block really bad," Potter said.

Potter didn't record any blocks, but she did a whole lot else in leading the Golden Bears to a 25-19, 22-25, 25-20, 25-21 victory over Washington State at Haas Pavilion. After an injury to fellow setter Mackenzie Albrecht, Cal was forced to switch from a 6-2 offense to a 5-1 with Potter solely leading the offense. Potter responded by helping the Bears capture the final two sets to win their ninth straight match at home while snapping a four-match losing streak in the process.

"All the players love (Potter)," Cal coach Matt McShane said. "She is a really giving person on the court, and there are times where we want her to be more assertive. It's hard to do that when you're a freshman. But she handled it great tonight."

Potter and Albrecht had split setting duties in every match this season before Friday. Albrecht was unavailable for the final two sets and Potter directed an efficient offense, including a .290 hitting percentage in the final set.
"My mindset was still the same as if I was just still playing three rotations," Potter said. "I was just going out and playing my hardest. All of my front row hitters helped me so much because they knew I wasn't used to playing front row."

The adjustment to the 5-1 offense was even more challenging for the Bears because they don't run a traditional 6-2 offense because the setters are opposite the middle blockers in their playing rotation rather than the opposite hitters. Throw in the fact that senior outside hitter Christine Alftin was limited in the final two sets because of a tweaked ankle, and Cal was forced to grind through some significant adjustments as the match wore on.

"Part of it is just staying calm," McShane said. "You still have to pass, set and hit. The better you are, the less pressure you feel. And Potter is getting to the point where she is good enough that the pressure is less on her. It makes it easier to handle."

The Bears also didn't know if they would have starting freshman outside hitter Mima Mirkovic until moments before the match. Mirkovic suffered a sprained ankle during practice Thursday and tested it out before the match. Not only did she play, she led Cal with 11 kills and 16 digs.

Junior Carmen Annevelink added 10 kills while Alftin finished with nine kills, eight digs and three blocks. Freshman middle blocker Preslie Anderson had nine kills at a .529 hitting percentage while senior Antzela Dempi also had nine kills and two aces.

Cal hasn't lost a home match since dropping its season-opener to UC Irvine.

"There's nothing like playing on our home court," Potter said. "I think this match is a huge momentum-changer for us. Every one of us felt that. We hope it carries over into the next match."