California Golden Bears Athletics
Friday, October 25
Los Angeles, CA
8:00 PM
California
at
USC
No. 15 Bears Set For Southern California Swing
10/24/2019 9:58 AM | Volleyball
Two Big Matchups Await Cal In Los Angeles.
No. 15 CAL vs USC
Friday, Oct. 25 | 8:00 PM | Galen Center | Los Angeles, Calif.
No. 15 CAL vs UCLA
Sunday, Oct. 27 | 12 Noon | Pauley Pavilion | Los Angeles, Calif.
BERKELEY - The Bears take to the road for a Southern California trip after earning two hard-fought, five-set victories over No. 18 Utah and Colorado last week in Haas Pavilion to make it seven consecutive conference wins. California has opened the 2019 campaign by winning 17 of 18 matches to begin the season, its best record since winning 20 of the first 21 matches in 2010.
Tied for first-place in the Pac-12, No. 15 California is set to face USC at 8 p.m. on Friday in the Galen Center on the Pac--12 Networks and UCLA at 12 p.m. on Sunday in Pauley Pavilion. The Trojans took both matches over the Bears in 2018 and USC holds the all-time advantage 60-12. The Bears and Bruins split the two matches a year ago with each winning on the others home floor. UCLA leads the all-time series 64-9.
MIMA MANIA
Cal junior Mima Mirkovic was named the Sports Imports/American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of the Week, the AVCA office announced on Tuesday, Oct. 22. Mirkovic led the No. 15 Bears to two five-set victories over No. 18 Utah and Colorado, tallying two consecutive double-doubles, including 19 kills and a season-high 20 digs in Sunday's win over the Buffaloes. Mirkovic was also named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week, the second time Cal has won the award after senior middle blocker Savannah Rennie earned the recognition in week one. This is the sixth Sports Imports/AVCA Player of the Week honor all-time for California and first since Carli Lloyd on Oct. 26, 2010. Mirkovic becomes the fourth Bear to earn the recognition, joining Mia Jerkov (Oct. 21, 2002; Oct. 13, 2003) Lloyd (Oct. 21, 2008; Oct. 26, 2010) and Hana Cutura (Oct. 27, 2009).
DOWN TO THREE
California enters the eighth week of the season among a select group of teams. The Bears are one of just three Power Five teams left in the country with one or fewer losses. At 17-1, Cal is among elite company with No. 3 Pittsburgh (19-1) and No. 1 Baylor (16-1) as the other two teams with just one or fewer losses.
LEADING BEAR
Junior middle blocker Preslie Anderson is making a name for herself in 2019. The Chandler, Ariz., native currently sits 14th in the country with a .423 hitting percentage clip, tallying a season-high 13 kills in the win over Washington State on Sept. 28 while adding 11 kills against then-No. 1 Stanford on Sept. 26 to give her 24 kills in the opening weekend of conference play.
KEEP CLIMBING
The Bears enter week eight of play with a national ranking for the sixth consecutive week, checking in at No. 15 in the AVCA Coaches Poll after reeling off 17 wins in the first 18 matches to begin the season. California was No. 15 in last week's poll, No. 16 in week six, No. 19 in week five, No. 21 in week four and week three marked the first time Cal was ranked in the poll since Nov. 18, 2013, when the Bears checked in at No. 23. After not receiving a single vote in the preseason version, California received votes in both the week one and week two rankings before breaking into the Top 25 in week three.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
Not only are the Bears getting it done on the offensive end, the Cal defense is making its presence known as well. Opponents are hitting just .158 this season in matches against California, currently the 24th-best mark in the country and second in the conference. The Bears have held five opponents below a .100 hitting percentage in matches so far in 2019.
TEAM EFFORT
Led by Anderson (.423, 14th) and redshirt sophomore Lauren Forte (.387) the Bears are fourth in the country and first in the Pac-12 in team hitting percentage through the first six weeks of the season. California is currently hitting .309 as a squad, trailing just Baylor (.310, third), Missouri (.311, second) and Texas (.328, first).
ACE IN THE HOLE
California has seen a marked improvement at the service line this season under first year head coach Sam Crosson, who has made a point of wanting to see the Bears serve tougher. Currently sitting fifth in the conference in aces per set (1.42) as a team, sophomore Jade Blevins tops the Pac-12 with an average of 0.36 aces per set through the first 18 matches.
BLOCK PARTY
The Bears front row was dialed in on the road in Oregon, led by a season-high tying 14-block effort in the straight set win over Oregon State on October 4. It was the second consecutive match California recorded 14 blocks after putting up the same number in a five-set victory over Washington State on Sept. 28. Cal wrapped up the weekend by tallying eight blocks in the first win over Oregon at Matthew Knight Arena since 2012.
RENNIE REIGNS
Redshirt senior Savannah Rennie opened the season with a bang, taking home Rams Volleyball Classic MVP and Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors in week one, followed by NDSU Classic All-Tournament Team recognition. Finally at full strength for the first time in her Cal career after overcoming a liver transplant, followed by post-transplant non-Hodgkin lymphoma during her first four years as a Bear, Rennie tallied 27 kills and 13 block assists, while recording a combined hitting percentage of .500 in Cal's three wins to open the season. She totaled 27 kills, 14 blocks and 10 digs in 27 sets a year ago.
MADDIE SHINES
Senior Maddie Haynes came on strong in Irvine, turning in the best three-match stretch of her career. Haynes recorded a team-high 14 kills in the win over North Carolina with a career-best .542 hitting percentage on 24 swings. She set her second personal best in as many days with four service aces against UNLV and finished with 27 kills over the three-match weekend tournament. Haynes came up on kill shy of tying her career-high with 17 kills in the win at Saint Mary's and has notched double-digit kills seven times already in 2019 after reaching double figures six times a year ago.
ALL-TOURNAMENT DUO
The Bears had two others named to the Rams Volleyball Classic All-Tournament Team in junior outside hitter Mima Mirkovic and senior opposite hitter Bailee Huizenga. Mirkovic led the Bears with 34 kills, to go along with seven blocks and three aces over the weekend. She is also second on the team with 42 digs through the first three matches. Huizenga racked up 31 kills while adding 10 block assists in three matches, and notched her first-career double-double in the 3-1 victory over Colorado State with 12 kills and 12 digs.
Friday, Oct. 25 | 8:00 PM | Galen Center | Los Angeles, Calif.
No. 15 CAL vs UCLA
Sunday, Oct. 27 | 12 Noon | Pauley Pavilion | Los Angeles, Calif.
BERKELEY - The Bears take to the road for a Southern California trip after earning two hard-fought, five-set victories over No. 18 Utah and Colorado last week in Haas Pavilion to make it seven consecutive conference wins. California has opened the 2019 campaign by winning 17 of 18 matches to begin the season, its best record since winning 20 of the first 21 matches in 2010.
Tied for first-place in the Pac-12, No. 15 California is set to face USC at 8 p.m. on Friday in the Galen Center on the Pac--12 Networks and UCLA at 12 p.m. on Sunday in Pauley Pavilion. The Trojans took both matches over the Bears in 2018 and USC holds the all-time advantage 60-12. The Bears and Bruins split the two matches a year ago with each winning on the others home floor. UCLA leads the all-time series 64-9.
MIMA MANIA
Cal junior Mima Mirkovic was named the Sports Imports/American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of the Week, the AVCA office announced on Tuesday, Oct. 22. Mirkovic led the No. 15 Bears to two five-set victories over No. 18 Utah and Colorado, tallying two consecutive double-doubles, including 19 kills and a season-high 20 digs in Sunday's win over the Buffaloes. Mirkovic was also named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week, the second time Cal has won the award after senior middle blocker Savannah Rennie earned the recognition in week one. This is the sixth Sports Imports/AVCA Player of the Week honor all-time for California and first since Carli Lloyd on Oct. 26, 2010. Mirkovic becomes the fourth Bear to earn the recognition, joining Mia Jerkov (Oct. 21, 2002; Oct. 13, 2003) Lloyd (Oct. 21, 2008; Oct. 26, 2010) and Hana Cutura (Oct. 27, 2009).
DOWN TO THREE
California enters the eighth week of the season among a select group of teams. The Bears are one of just three Power Five teams left in the country with one or fewer losses. At 17-1, Cal is among elite company with No. 3 Pittsburgh (19-1) and No. 1 Baylor (16-1) as the other two teams with just one or fewer losses.
LEADING BEAR
Junior middle blocker Preslie Anderson is making a name for herself in 2019. The Chandler, Ariz., native currently sits 14th in the country with a .423 hitting percentage clip, tallying a season-high 13 kills in the win over Washington State on Sept. 28 while adding 11 kills against then-No. 1 Stanford on Sept. 26 to give her 24 kills in the opening weekend of conference play.
KEEP CLIMBING
The Bears enter week eight of play with a national ranking for the sixth consecutive week, checking in at No. 15 in the AVCA Coaches Poll after reeling off 17 wins in the first 18 matches to begin the season. California was No. 15 in last week's poll, No. 16 in week six, No. 19 in week five, No. 21 in week four and week three marked the first time Cal was ranked in the poll since Nov. 18, 2013, when the Bears checked in at No. 23. After not receiving a single vote in the preseason version, California received votes in both the week one and week two rankings before breaking into the Top 25 in week three.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
Not only are the Bears getting it done on the offensive end, the Cal defense is making its presence known as well. Opponents are hitting just .158 this season in matches against California, currently the 24th-best mark in the country and second in the conference. The Bears have held five opponents below a .100 hitting percentage in matches so far in 2019.
TEAM EFFORT
Led by Anderson (.423, 14th) and redshirt sophomore Lauren Forte (.387) the Bears are fourth in the country and first in the Pac-12 in team hitting percentage through the first six weeks of the season. California is currently hitting .309 as a squad, trailing just Baylor (.310, third), Missouri (.311, second) and Texas (.328, first).
ACE IN THE HOLE
California has seen a marked improvement at the service line this season under first year head coach Sam Crosson, who has made a point of wanting to see the Bears serve tougher. Currently sitting fifth in the conference in aces per set (1.42) as a team, sophomore Jade Blevins tops the Pac-12 with an average of 0.36 aces per set through the first 18 matches.
BLOCK PARTY
The Bears front row was dialed in on the road in Oregon, led by a season-high tying 14-block effort in the straight set win over Oregon State on October 4. It was the second consecutive match California recorded 14 blocks after putting up the same number in a five-set victory over Washington State on Sept. 28. Cal wrapped up the weekend by tallying eight blocks in the first win over Oregon at Matthew Knight Arena since 2012.
RENNIE REIGNS
Redshirt senior Savannah Rennie opened the season with a bang, taking home Rams Volleyball Classic MVP and Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors in week one, followed by NDSU Classic All-Tournament Team recognition. Finally at full strength for the first time in her Cal career after overcoming a liver transplant, followed by post-transplant non-Hodgkin lymphoma during her first four years as a Bear, Rennie tallied 27 kills and 13 block assists, while recording a combined hitting percentage of .500 in Cal's three wins to open the season. She totaled 27 kills, 14 blocks and 10 digs in 27 sets a year ago.
MADDIE SHINES
Senior Maddie Haynes came on strong in Irvine, turning in the best three-match stretch of her career. Haynes recorded a team-high 14 kills in the win over North Carolina with a career-best .542 hitting percentage on 24 swings. She set her second personal best in as many days with four service aces against UNLV and finished with 27 kills over the three-match weekend tournament. Haynes came up on kill shy of tying her career-high with 17 kills in the win at Saint Mary's and has notched double-digit kills seven times already in 2019 after reaching double figures six times a year ago.
ALL-TOURNAMENT DUO
The Bears had two others named to the Rams Volleyball Classic All-Tournament Team in junior outside hitter Mima Mirkovic and senior opposite hitter Bailee Huizenga. Mirkovic led the Bears with 34 kills, to go along with seven blocks and three aces over the weekend. She is also second on the team with 42 digs through the first three matches. Huizenga racked up 31 kills while adding 10 block assists in three matches, and notched her first-career double-double in the 3-1 victory over Colorado State with 12 kills and 12 digs.
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