Cal Prepares For Home Opener Against Portland State, Southern Utah

Cal has the chance to increase its win streak to five matches this weekend.

VB8/30/2023 6:00 PM | By: Cal Athletics

Undefeated Bears Look To Continue Success On The Court

BERKELEY – California volleyball (3-0, 0-0 Pac-12) is set to make its regular-season home debut following a three-game win streak to open the year and claim the Army Invitational tournament title. The Golden Bears dropped just one set last week and clinched their best start since 2019, after which senior Tara DeSa earned all-tournament MVP; junior Annalea Maeder and freshman Maggie Li also earned spots on the all-tournament team. Now, Cal will welcome Portland State (2-1, 0-0 Big Sky) and Southern Utah (2-1, 0-0 WAC) to Bear Territory in hopes of extending that streak and building further momentum as the Bears barrel toward Pac-12 play.
 
The Bears are 6-3 all time against the Vikings. Last year, Portland State finished 18-13 and reached the second round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship. They enter the weekend with an impressive 3-0 victory over then-No. 13 San Diego and are proving to be a threat behind the service line, ranking 13th in the nation with 2.70 aces per set and 18th with 27 total aces.
 
Cal swept Southern Utah in the only meeting between the two teams to date. In 2022, the Thunderbirds posted a record of 7-17 with a first-round exit in the WAC Tournament. Junior Teniya Leuluai has been a standout for Southern Utah to start the season, having recorded 114 total assists to rank 34th in the NCAA.
 
NEW COACH ON THE BLOCK
Crissy Jones Schoonderwoerd steps into the interim head coach role for the Golden Bears after being hired as an assistant in February 2023. Previously, she acted as assistant coach for Cal Poly beach volleyball in 2020 while finding success on the AVP and FIVB circuits as a player. In her collegiate career at Washington and later at Cal Poly, she became just the second player in NCAA history to earn All-American honors for both indoor and beach volleyball. Jones Schoonderwoerd is joined on the staff by two first-year assistant coaches in Cal alumna Savannah Rennie and AVP pro Billy Allen.
 
LI LEADS
Freshman outside hitter Maggie Li earned Cal’s first Pac-12 weekly honor since 2019 – and its first rookie honor since 2018 – as she was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week after the Bears’ first…