Bears Host Arizona, ASU In Final Home Weekend

VB11/16/2022 2:18 PM | By: Cal Athletics

Cal Rides Momentum Home To Haas

BERKELEY – California volleyball (7-19, 0-16 Pac-12) hopes to continue its upward trajectory this week as the team returns to Haas Pavilion for its final home weekend of the season, hosting Arizona (14-13, 4-12) and Arizona State (11-17, 5-11). The Bears have participated in three straight five-set matches and are looking to ride that competitive momentum into the last four matches of the season as they seek their first conference win since Spring 2021.

Arizona currently leads the all-time series against Cal, 46-27. The Wildcats swept the Bears, 3-0, in their last meeting on Oct. 16; however, they are just 2-7 as the visiting team this season. Senior Zyanna Fellows leads Arizona with 132.0 total blocks, 21^st in the NCAA, while classmate Kamaile Hiapo tops the conference with 411 total digs.

For their part, the Sun Devils also hold the advantage in their all-time series against Cal, 39-34. The Bears suffered a 3-0 sweep at the hands of ASU on Oct. 14, but the visitors are currently on a five-game losing streak going into their match against No. 8 Stanford, scheduled three days before they head to Berkeley. Senior Ivan Isanovic has been ASU’s standout player this season, leading the team with 366 kills and 417.5 points. She ranks 59^th in the nation with 1065 total attacks.

 

GROTE’S GLORY

Lydia Grote made Cal history in November, posting 28 kills against UCLA (Nov. 10) – the most by any Golden Bear in a single game since 2010 – and matched that total two days later against USC. In the latter match, she recorded 94 attacks for the most in one game all-time by any Cal player. She currently leads the Bears with 354 kills, 409.0 points and 4.26 points per set, the last of which ranks 89th in the nation.

 

TEAM LEADERS

Grote is not the only Golden Bear posting an impressive 2002 season for Cal. Junior Tara DeSa currently ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in both total digs (340) and digs per set (3.95), while freshman Mikayla Hayden has also made an impressive impact in her Golden Bear debut, leading the team with 88.0 total blocks (6th-most in the Pac-12) and 1.06 blocks per set (19th-best freshman in the NCAA).

 

USA VOLLEYBALL TAKES NOTICE

Juniors Lydia Grote and Leah Schmidt participated in the 2022 USA Volleyball National Team Open Program on Feb. 25-27, scoring invitations after stellar sophomore seasons. Grote’s 2021 campaign included a…