SANTA MONICA, Calif. – The No. 16 Cal beach volleyball team made a definitive statement about its 2018 season Saturday, pushing No. 4 and two-time defending NCAA champion USC to the limit before falling 3-2 and then rolling past No. 19 Washington 5-0 at the Pac-12 South Tournament at Ocean Park Beach.

Cal (12-2) won the No. 4 and No. 5 matches against the Trojans, including a straight-set 21-16, 21-16 victory at No. 5 by junior Grace Campbell and freshman Maddie Micheletti. The No. 4 pair of junior Mia Merino and freshman Caroline Schafer also won 20-22, 21-19, 15-7.

The Bears' No. 3 pair of senior Bryce Bark and sophomore Madison Dueck came close to forcing a third and deciding set before falling 21-16, 25-23.

Cal had played USC four previous times in program history and lost each time 5-0 without winning a set.

"I am so proud of how the team came out and competed from the top to the bottom," Cal head coach Meagan Owusu said. "We know how good we are, but to be put in a situation when you are playing one of the best teams in the country and rise to the challenge is truly inspiring."

The win over the Huskies avenged a 5-0 loss to Washington in the contender's bracket of last year's Pac-12 Championships that ended the Bears season.

Cal will have an opportunity to further prove itself among the nation's elite on Sunday when it closes out the Pac-12 South Tournament against No. 2 UCLA and No. 11 Arizona.

"We are playing two teams that our program has yet to beat, but this is a special group this year and we learned today that we can play and beat the best out there," Owusu said. "That confidence is great to have the day before more big matches."

 
No. 4 USC 3, No. 16 Cal 2
No. 1: Abril Bustamante-Tina Graudina (USC) def. Alexia Inman-Mima Mirkovic, 21-15, 21-12
No. 2: Terese Cannon-Sammy Slater (USC) def. Jessica Gaffney-Iya Lindahl, 21-10, 21-18
No. 3: Jenna Belton-Haley Hallgren (USC) def. Bryce Bark-Madison Dueck, 21-16, 25-23
No. 4: Mia Merino-Caroline Schafer (Cal) def. Joy Dennis-Jo Kremer, 20-22, 21-19, 15-7
No. 5: Grace Campbell-Maddie Micheletti (Cal) def. Katrina Kernochan-Alexandra Poletto, 21-16, 21-16
 
No. 16 Cal 5, No. 19 Washington 0
No. 1: Alexia Inman-Mima Mirkovic (Cal) def. Jordan Anderson-Kimmy Gardiner, 23-21, 21-16
No. 2: Jessica Gaffney-Iya Lindahl (Cal) def. Destiny Julye-Courtney Schwan, 21-17, 18-21, 15-9
No. 3: Bryce Bark-Madison Dueck (Cal) def. Carly DeHoog-Shayne McPherson, 21-10, 17-21, 15-12
No. 4: Mia Merino-Caroline Schafer (Cal) def. Kara Bajema-Emma Calle, 21-15, 21-15
No. 5: Grace Campbell-Maddie Micheletti (Cal) def. Anna Crabtree-Natalie Robinson, 21-16, 21-9