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The Bears’ unbeaten streak will be put to the test against four tough teams this week.
Bears Start Week With Battle Of Unbeatens At Home
BERKELEY – California volleyball (5-0, 0-0 Pac-12) will face its toughest test yet in the young 2023 season as it welcomes the Saint Mary’s (California) Gaels to Haas Pavilion on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. PT, followed by a three-match showdown at the Bobcat Classic in San Marcos, Texas, against Southeastern Louisiana, Texas State and Abilene Christian on Sept. 8-9.
The Golden Bears are currently riding their best start since 2019, when the team won 10 straight to kick off the season. They currently rank seventh in the NCAA (No. 1 Pac-12) in opponent hitting percentage, having held teams to just .105 so far on the year, and rank among the nation’s top-25 teams in assists per set (13.24) and service aces per set (2.24).
The Gaels (6-0, 0-0 WCC) are led by dangerous two-way player Kjersti Strong, who has both WCC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week nods under her belt in just two weeks of competition. She is a force to be reckoned with at the net, where she ranks among the NCAA’s top 25 in both blocks per set (1.5) and total blocks (36). The Bears will also have to contend with middle blocker Kristen Erland, whose hitting percentage of .548 ranks fourth in the nation. Although Cal has fared well historically against Saint Mary’s with a 22-3 all-time head-to-head record, this year’s team is one to be feared: the squad ranks in the NCAA’s top-30 teams in no fewer than four categories, including ninth in blocks per set.
Southeastern Louisiana holds a record of 3-2 (0-0 Southland Conference) following a season in which it won 25 matches and reached the first round of the NCAA Tournament. This year, the Lady Lions are led by setter/opposite Rachel Hartmann, who earned SLC Offensive Player of the Week honors after the team’s first three games. She is among the squad’s top-three players in all five major stats categories (kills, assists, service ages, digs and blocks). This will be the first time that the Bears have matched up against Southeastern Louisiana; first serve for the match is scheduled for 8 a.m. on Friday at Texas State’s Strahan Arena.
Later that day, Cal will next face host…
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