PORTLAND – California completed a demanding weekend with a hard-fought sweep over in-state rival Fresno State to conclude the West Coast Challenge and return home with a 2-1 showing.
 
The Golden Bears (7-2, 0-0 Pac-12) cruised through the first two sets but just pushed past the Bulldogs (7-3, 0-0 MWC) to complete the 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-23) decision and avoid extra sets after playing a pair of five-set matches Friday.
 
The final set included nine tie scores and three lead changes as Cal overcame a sluggish start to the set allowing Fresno State to jump to a 7-2 lead quickly. The Bears eventually stringed a 4-0 run together and to move ahead 21-18 and the programs traded points until things were knotted at 23-23.

Carmen Annevelink put away the game on a monstrous kill after Fresno State's Taylor Slover committed a service error to lift the Bears to victory.

"It's great to come back less than 12 hours later with a sweep of a good Fresno State team," said head coach Jennifer Dorr. "The conditioning work this team has done in the offseason and their will to play harder for longer helped propel us to victory this morning."

While Annevelink shut things down, the Bears' Mima Mirkovic was an offensive powerhouse with a game-high 17 kills to tie her career best, recording a career-high .471 attack percentage and also added nine digs to the effort.

"It was a very good performance by Mima today to have a career high in hitting percentage and tie her kill record in a three-set win. She continues to be solid for us."

Annevelink finished with nine kills, while Lauren Forte added eight kills and Bailee Huizenga added seven.

Freshman Jade Blevins led with a team-high 21 assists, her fourth game with at least 20 assists.
 
Despite being outhit 15-13 in the first set, Cal minimized its errors and capitalized on Fresno State's to get its first opening set win of the weekend. Mirkovic led with five kills and sophomore Lauren Forte made her presence felt in her second start of the year adding three kills of her own. The Bears led by as much as six in set 1 and held off a late 4-0 run from the Bulldogs to clinch the early W.
 
Momentum continued in favor of the Blue and Gold with it posting a decisive second set win holding the Bulldogs to 18 points and a .188 attacking percentage, while outhitting the Bulldogs 17-10 and recording a .368 percentage.
 
Cal returns home for five of its next six contests beginning with a matchup against Pacific on Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. before visiting nearby Saint Mary's on Sept. 15 at 3 p.m. to conclude preseason play.
 
Pac-12 play begins with a four-game homestand which includes No. 4 Stanford on Sept. 19 followed by Arizona State (Sept. 23), No. 9 UCLA (Sept. 28) and No. 10 USC (Sept. 30).
 
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