Bears Head North To Face No. 4 WSU, Washington

Cal will face its second top-five opponent of the season on Friday.

VB10/4/2023 5:02 PM | By: Cal Athletics

Tough Test Ahead For Cal Volleyball

California volleyball will be back on the road this weekend to play a pair of highly talented teams, starting with the formidable No. 4 Washington State Cougars on Friday at 7 p.m. PT and following up with a match against the Washington Huskies on Sunday at noon.
 
The Golden Bears (12-3, 1-3 Pac-12) earned their first Pac-12 win in three years last week, defeating Arizona in four sets two days before taking now-No. 23 Arizona State to five in a close battle. Cal’s defense is holding opponents to a combined .143 this season, fifth best in the nation, while also ranking 35th in the NCAA with 12.64 assists per set, 36th with 13.59 kills per set and 42nd with 1.82 service aces per set.
 
The Cougars (14-1, 4-0 Pac-12) have played lights-out this season with wins over four top-25 opponents and have yet to lose a conference match. They are currently hitting .301 as a team (seventh-best in the NCAA) with 13.63 kills per set (31st), 2.50 blocks per set (42nd) and 12.42 assists per set (48th). WSU’s top all-around threat is three-time All-American Magda Jehlárová, who ranks seventh in the nation with a .477 hitting percentage, 11th with 1.44 blocks per set and 24th with 72 total blocks. The Bears are 46-32 against the Cougars all-time but have not come away with a win in that matchup since Sept. 28, 2019.
 
The Huskies (10-5, 1-3 Pac-12) have fared less well in conference play this year as they adjust to a new head coach and the loss of multiple key seniors but have historically proved to be a challenge for the Bears, who have a lifetime record of 29-47 against them. UW posts an average of 1.98 service aces per set, 18th best in the country, and has combined for 115 total aces this season (23rd NCAA). Junior libero Lauren Bays has been a defensive stalwart for the Huskies, ranking second in the Pac-12 with 231 total digs and 3.98 digs per set. Cal last defeated Washington in 2011, when the No. 5 Bears took down the No. 11 Huskies in four sets.
 
LI LEADS
Freshman outside hitter Maggie Li has already cemented her name in the Cal record books as she is the first player in program history to win Pac-12 honors in consecutive weeks, as well as the Bears’ first four-time Pac-12…