CAL vs OKLAHOMA
Friday, Aug. 30 | 12 PM PT | Moby Arena | Fort Collins, Colo.

CAL at COLORADO STATE
Saturday, Aug. 31 | 12 PM PT | Moby Arena | Fort Collins, Colo.

CAL vs CHICAGO STATE
Saturday, Aug. 31 | 4 PM PT | Moby Arena | Fort Collins, Colo.

BERKELEY - California volleyball opens the the Sam Crosson era this week at the Rams Volleyball Classic against Oklahoma, host Colorado State and Chicago State inside Moby Arena. The Bears will be playing their second-ever match against Oklahoma, and first since a 3-0 win over the Sooners in 1990. Cal and Colorado State have played six times in history, with the series tied 3-3. The most recent matchup resulted in a 3-1 Cal victory against the Rams in 2006. It will be the second time the Bears have faced Chicago State, after the two squads met in a 3-0 Cal victory to open the 2018 season in Berkeley.

CROSSON ERA BEGINS
The Bears welcome back new head coach Sam Crosson, who returns to Cal after a successful stint at the helm of the Cal Poly volleyball program. Crosson, a two-time Big West Coach of the Year, spent seven seasons directing the Mustangs squad and built the team into a national contender, earning postseason berths in 2017 and '18. He was an assistant coach at Cal from 2010-11 under longtime head coach Rich Feller, when the Bears made consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Pac-10 Championship and appearance in the NCAA title match in 2010.

ALL-PAC-12 RETURNERS
Cal returns a strong core for the 2019 season, including junior outside hitter Mima Mirkovic, junior middle blocker Preslie Anderson and sophomore middle blocker Lauren Forte, who each earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention a season ago. Mirkovic led the Bears with 405 kills last season, averaging 3.46 per set and had a team-high 359 digs. Forte was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team after leading Cal with 82 blocks, including 26 solo to go along with 161 kills. Anderson totaled 240 kills (2.05 per set), 94 blocks and 16 aces in 2018.

SETTING IT UP
Junior Isabel Potter and sophomore Jade Blevins both are back for the Bears this season after earning a lot of playing time at setter in 2018. Potter, a product of Moline, Ill., tallied a team-high 844 assists last season to average 7.21 per set. She also led the team with 32 aces, while recording 18 blocks. A Laguna Beach native, Blevins returns after a successful rookie campaign where she notched 413 assists (5.36 per set) and 14 aces.

REMARKABLE RENNIE
Redshirt senior Savannah Rennie is at full strength for the first time in her Cal career after overcoming a liver transplant, folowed by non-Hodgkin lymphoma during her first four years as a Bear. Rennie returned to the court last season for the first time since 2016 on Sept. 7 at Portland State, recording six kills and two blocks. Totaling 27 kills, 14 blocks and 10 digs in 27 sets a year ago, Rennie is set to make an impact in 2019 after coming to Cal as one of the most highly-recruited middle blockers in the country out of high school.

EXPERIENCE REIGNS
The Bears welcome back four other seniors this season, including opposite hitter Bailee Huizenga, defensive specialists Emma Smith and Morgan Wright and outside hitter Maddie Haynes.