BERKELEY - California volleyball announced the addition of three incoming freshmen to its 2025 squad Wednesday, with Arissa Carbonara, Annemarie O'Gara and Francesca Popescu officially signing with the Golden Bears.
 
Carbonara, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter from Cuero, Texas, who owns the Cuero High School records for both single-season and career kills, has posted 731 kills this season -16th-most in the nation – and is a member of the 2024 Texas Girls Coaches Association (TGCA) All-Star Team. In 2023, she was named All-State by the Texas Sportswriters Association (TWSA), the District 28-4A Offensive MVP and the Victoria Advocate Area Offensive Player of the Year. Carbonara's athletic achievements also include four letters in basketball (and a TCGA 4A All-State nod in 2024); she is also a jumper on the Cuero High School track & field team and played varsity softball as a freshman.
 
"Arissa will be a great addition to our pins group with the ability to play six rotations and bringing pace with her swing," head coach Jen Malcom said. "Not only is she a fantastic volleyball player, she also dominates on the basketball court – we love multisport athletes who compete. Her work ethic is a product of her upbringing, and we are excited to bring a small-town, farm-kid mentality to our team."
 
As a student at Cuero High School, Carbonara ranks second in her graduating class and is a National Honor Society member as well as the Student Council treasurer and the former president of the Anchor Club. She intends to major in business at Cal.
 
O'Gara, a 6-foot-2 opposite from Phoenix and top-12 blocker in the state of Arizona, plays for Xavier College Preparatory and is a member of the All-Region Premier 6A Second Team. In 2023, she helped club team Arizona Sky take third place at the national championships; the next year, O'Gara and Arizona Sky reached the top as the club won both the state and national titles.
 
"I love Annie's eagerness to continue learning the game and applying it every day," Malcom said. "We know how hard she has worked to be a Golden Bear – this is just the beginning for her and we look forward to seeing how her career blossoms here at Cal."
 
O'Gara is a member of the National Honor Society, the 6A Conference All-Academic First Team and the Xavier College Preparatory Honor Roll. During her high school career, she has acted as the vice president of the National English Honors Society, the Student Council Executive Board, the Liturgical Choir and the We Are Xavier (WAX) Club while participating in the Xavier College Prep Presidents Council, the Key Club, the National History Club and the Spanish Club. She will study exercise science at Cal.
 
Popescu, a 5-foot-6 defensive specialist/libero from Suwanee, Georgia, is a two-time American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Phenom honoree (2021-22), a 2024 American Amateur Union (AAU) Nationals All-American and All-Defense honoree, a USA Volleyball (USAV) Nationals All-American and a 2022 Georgia High School Association (GHSA) All-State player. She has also earned a slew of regional awards throughout her career, including a pair of First-Team All-Region nods in 2022 (7A) and 2024 (6A), and was recognized as the 2022 7A Region Defensive Player of the Year and 2021 7A Freshman of the Year. The school record-holder in career digs, Popescu helped Lambert High School to state runner-up status in 2022 and the GHSA 7A Elite Eight in 2021. She also helped club team A5 to a third-place finish at the 2024 USAV National Championships.
 
"Fran will be a great addition to our backcourt," Malcom said. "She is one of the best defenders at the club level with her fast foot speed and ability to read the game – she is able to get a hand on almost anything that is hit on her half of the court and is a fierce competitor who wants to win. We are excited to add another player like that to our team."
 
A Prep Volleyball All-Academic, Popescu is also a member of the National Honor Society and has received Lambert High School's Citizenship and Empathy Awards while acting as a leader for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and Whisper, a club which provides inclusion, connection and support for students. She will major in nutritional sciences at Cal.
 
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