BERKELEY – California volleyball head coach Sam Crosson announced the signing of three athletes to the Bears' 2020 recruiting class on Thursday (Nov. 14) during the national signing period.

Kendall Jensen (Burbank, Calif./Village Christian), Katarina Pantovic (Vancouver, British Columbia/Lord Byng Secondary School) and Sam Taumoepeau (San Diego, Calif./Mt. Carmel) will join the Cal roster in the fall of 2020.  

"We are excited about the addition of these three young women to the Cal volleyball program," Crosson said.  "Their character, intrinsic motivation for improvement, and academic qualifications make this an outstanding class for the future success of our program. With a combination of athleticism, skill in their respective positions, and eagerness to learn on a daily basis, Katarina, Sam, and Kendall are a great start to our incoming class of 2020."

Kendall Jensen
Burbank, Calif. | Village Christian
Position: Setter
Height: 5' 8"
Club: SG Elite



Four-year letter winner at Village Christian … Four-time First Team All-League selection … 2018 Olympic League Player of the Year … 2018 CIF-SS DIII Player of the Year … 2018 CIF Second Team All-State … 2018 MaxPreps/AVCA California Player of the Week (Nov. 12) … 2018 prepvolleyball.com junior class High School Player of the Year Candidate … 2018 prepvolleyball.com honorable mention High School All-American … 2018 Daily News Female Athlete of the Week (Oct. 8) … 2018 Daily News First Team All-Area selection … 2018 CIF Division III Champions … 2018 State Division II Champions … 2018 Regional Champions.
Daughter of Amy and Don Jensen … Has three siblings Payton (19), Campbell (15) and Emerson (13) … Sister, Payton, plays volleyball at San Francisco State University.

Crosson on Jensen …
"Kendall is an exceptionally talented setter on the court, a competitor, a leader, and a teammate who is selfless. She is comfortable running a fast offense, can distribute and locate the ball while on the move, and her decision-making and understanding of offensive theory are very good. We are excited and looking forward to the addition of Kendall for the start of the 2020 season."
 
Katarina Pantovic
Vancouver, British Columbia | Lord Byng Secondary School
Position: Outside Hitter
Height: 6' 0"
Club: Thunder Volleyball


 
Four-year letter winner at Lord Byng Secondary School … Named MVP of high school team … Earned large block high school athletic award … Selected to Provincial Senior High School All Star Team three consecutive years … 2015-16 first place finish with U16 Team BC at national team challenge cup … 2017 second place finish at U16 Club Provincials, named all-star … Played three years up on U18 Team BC in 2017 … 2017-18 high school senior girls city champions … fifth place finish at Provincials … 2017 senior girls all-star … First place at U17 Club Provincials … Named U17 Provincial All-Star and MVP 2018 … 2018 first place at U18 Club Provincials … Named U18 Provincial All-Star and MVP 2019 … Participated on team BC 2019 … Played for Team Canada Youth Women 2018-19.
Daughter of Svjetlana and Igor Pantovic … Has one sibling Andrej (14)

Crosson on Pantovic …
"Katarina has all of the tools to build a great future of success here at Cal. She is an exceptional student in the classroom, will be a dual player for both the indoor and beach programs, and most importantly, she is a highly motivated, value driven young woman who will have an immediate impact on the future culture of our program. She is an exceptional volleyball player who possesses the skill sets required for the outside hitter position.  She is quick to see relevant cues in the game, so her on court movements are very clean. She is quick and athletic, which allows her to have range as a blocker and defensive player, and she has the athleticism and spatial awareness to attack both fast in-system and slower out-of-system set types. We look forward to Kat joining our program in the fall of 2020."
 
Sam Taumoepeau
San Diego, Calif. | Mt. Carmel
Position: Outside Hitter
Height: 6' 0"
Club: Wave Volleyball

 

Three-year letter winner at Mt. Carmel … 2018 First Team All-League selection … 2017 Second Team All-League selection … Advanced to San Diego CIF Championship Freshman year … Won two qualifiers in 2016-17 with Wave 15s … Placed fourth at Triple Crown with Wave in 2016-17 … Took second place with Wave at 2017-18 Triple Crown … Scholar Athlete and All-Academic at Mt. Carmel.

Daughter of Gretchen and John Taumoepeau … Has two siblings Carson (16) and Trevor (11) … Mother, Gretchen, played volleyball at Oregon … Father, John, played football at Oregon … Two uncles played college football (Charlie, USD) and (Devo, Utah).

Crosson on Taumoepeau …
"Sam is a tremendous young woman who will thrive and grow here at Cal. She is an exceptional student, conducts herself with high character, and is a great teammate to others. On the court, Sam is an excellent athlete who can attack and score points from both the left and right sides. She is dynamic in her movements, has the ability to attack with both range and touch, and possesses the fundamental principles to become a great blocker.  We are excited, and look forward to Sam joining our program in the fall of 2020."

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