Ariel Nava
The Bears will look to notch two more wins in their first home matches of 2024.
BERKELEY – California volleyball will conclude nonconference play this week with its first two home matches of the season, hosting Santa Clara and UCLA at Haas Pavilion on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively. Both matches are slated to be broadcast on ACCNX/ESPN+.
The Golden Bears (7-3) went 3-1 last week, starting off with a five-set victory over Saint Mary’s before heading to the Buffs Invitational in Boulder, Colorado, where they faced Wyoming (W, 3-1), Colorado (L, 0-3) and UC Irvine (W, 3-1). Freshman Kate Mansfield was named All-Tournament after hitting .368 with 29 kills, including a 16-kill, .419 outing against UC Irvine. Junior Peyton DeJardin also made All-Tournament, posting 37 total kills on the weekend while recording a double-double and five service aces in the final match.
Vs. Santa Clara – Sept. 18, 7 p.m. PT
Last Meeting: Sept. 10, 2016 at Cal (L, 1-3)
Last Cal Win: Sept. 13, 2013 at Cal (3-0)
All-Time Record: 32-8
The Broncos (4-4) have lost two of their last three matches and will be looking to get back on track against the Bears on Wednesday. Cal will be the second Power 4 opponent that Santa Clara has faced this season; the only other such matchup was a 3-1 loss to Notre Dame in August. The Broncos are led by sophomore middle blocker Grace Flanagan, who paces the team with 30 blocks and 16 service aces on the year, as well as top attacker Alayna Crabtree (96 kills) and All-WCC Preseason selection Elena Radeff.
Vs. UCLA – Sept. 21, 1 p.m. PT (Dig Pink Game)
Last Meeting: Nov. 19, 2023 at UCLA (W, 3-1)
Last Cal Home Win: Nov. 3, 2013 at Cal (3-2)
All-Time Record: 10-73
The Bruins (5-2), who received 50 votes in this week’s American Volleyball Coaches Assocation (AVCA)/TARAFLEXD Division I Poll, will take on UC Davis this week before heading to Berkeley on Saturday. To date, their only two losses are against ranked teams (No. 17 Tennessee, No. 25 TCU); all but one of their wins have been sweeps, with the lone five-set victory coming at No. 14 Georgia Tech. As a team, UCLA is posting 13.58 kills per set – the same as Cal – and is just ahead of the Bears’ 12.92 assists per set with an average of 12.96; the Bruins’ hitting percentage of .280, meanwhile, ranks 21st in the…
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