Jen Malcom Era Begins Against Nevada, USF, Portland State
FRIDAY, AUG. 30
CAL VS. NEVADA | 2 P.M. PT | VIKING PAVILION | PORTLAND, ORE.
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SATURDAY, AUG. 31
CAL VS. USF | 11:30 A.M. PT | VIKING PAVILION | PORTLAND, ORE.
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CAL AT PORTLAND STATE | 6 P.M. | VIKING PAVILION | PORTLAND, ORE.
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BERKELEY – California volleyball begins its 2024 campaign this weekend for its first slate of matches under new head coach Jen Malcom, with the Golden Bears heading up to Portland, Oregon, for the Rose City Invitational Presented by Hotel Vance on Friday and Saturday. The program last competed in this tournament in 2018, winning two out of its three matches.
All three of Cal’s upcoming opponents are very familiar to the Bears, who faced each of them in 2023. Cal will start off the tournament against Nevada on Friday at 2 p.m. PT, followed by matchups with USF (11:30 a.m.) and host Portland State (6 p.m.) on Saturday.
Nevada (7-22 in 2023) will also have a new head coach patrolling the sideline in former Washington State assistant Shannon Wyckoff-McNeal. The Wolf Pack returns its top pin hitter from last year in senior Sia Lii, who led the team with 308 kills and was second on the squad with 33 aces and 230 digs. Cal is 13-5 all time against Nevada, including a 3-1 victory last year at the Wolf Pack Invitational.
USF (10-18 in 2023) finished seventh in the WCC last season and has only beaten Cal twice in 38 matchups. Starring for the Dons will be sophomore Astrid Puig, whose prowess on both the left and right sides earned her a WCC All-Freshman Team selection. The Bears last saw USF in an exhibition match at Haas Pavilion in 2023.. In their last regular-season clash, USF came out on top, 3-0, on its own home court in 2012.
Portland State posted a winning record of 16-12 (9-7 Big Sky) in 2023. Sophomore libero Paige Stepaniuk was a standout for the Vikings last season, earning All-Tournament Team honors at the 2023 Rose City Invitational as well as a Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week nod. The Bears are 7-3 all time against Portland State, with their last matchup falling in favor of Cal (3-1 at Haas Pavilion in 2023).
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