BERKELEY – The No. 11 Cal beach volleyball team remained perfect in 2017 with a 4-1 win over Sac State on Saturday in its home opener at the Clark Kerr Sand Courts.

The Bears (7-0) dominated the Nos. 2-5 matches and then lost a hard-fought battle at No. 1. All four of Cal's victories came in straight sets, and none of them were particularly close.

The Bears' No. 4 and No. 5 pairs continued their undefeated seasons, and the No. 5 duo of junior Teya Neff and freshman Bridget Gustafson extended its program-record streak of consecutive sets won to 14 with a 21-15, 21-11 victory over the Hornets' Hannah Meadows and Lana Brown.

Cal's No. 4 pair of freshmen Nicole Anderson and Iya Lindahl beat Sac State's Skyler Takeda and Brie Gathright, 21-12, 21-12.

"It was thrilling to be able to play at home," Cal coach Meagan Schmitt said. "It's always an exciting environment for the girls. But with playing at home comes new distractions, and the girls were very aware of that and came into today prepared to start strong, finish strong and take the win."

Cal's No. 1 pair of junior Bryce Bark and sophomore Mia Merino was edged by the Hornets' Morgan Stanley and Madeline Cannon, 22-20, 21-19.

The Bears continue their homestand next Friday with a tri-meet against San Jose State and Saint Mary's. Following that, Cal embarks on a six-match road trip in which they will face three teams ranked in the top-6 nationally.

"Our schedule is going to continue to ramp up with opponents and level of play," Schmitt said. "Every week, we are continuing to progress."

 
No. 11 Cal 5, Sac State 0
No. 1: Morgan Stanley-Madeline Cannon (SSU) def. Mia Merino-Bryce Bark, 22-20, 21-19
No. 2: Grace Campbell-Olivia Rodberg (Cal) def. Courtney Dietrich-Lexie Skalbeck, 21-8, 21-12
No. 3: Jessica Gaffney-Camille Stepanof (Cal) def. Kennedy Kurtz-Sarah Davis, 21-13, 21-15
No. 4: Nicole Anderson-Iya Lindahl (Cal) def. Skyler Takeda-Brie Gathright, 21-12, 21-12
No. 5: Teya Neff-Bridget Gustafson (Cal) def. Hannah Meadows-Lana Brown, 21-15, 21-11