The defending NCAA champion Cal women's swimming team gets its 2015-16 dual-meet season underway when the Golden Bears travel to Washington State for a pair of competitions Friday and Saturday.

The Bears and Cougars will first dive into the water at 5 p.m. Friday and will return to Gibb Pool Saturday at 10 a.m.

Cal last met WSU in October 2013 and came away with a 164-89 victory in Berkeley. The Bears most recently visited the Palouse 10 years ago in October of 2005 when they competed at both Washington State and Idaho over the course of a weekend.

After Cal returns home, the Bears will host their only two dual meets at Spieker Aquatics Center. On Thursday, Oct. 15, Utah makes an appears for a double-dual with the men's teams that will begin at 5 p.m. Cal and San Jose State will then face each other on Friday, Oct. 30 at 2 p.m. Admission to both events is free.

• DEFENDING CHAMPIONS
Cal earned its fourth NCAA championship in the past seven years with a record-setting victory at the national meet last March in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Bears set a school mark for most points with 513 and tied a program high with seven event victories. Cal claimed three relay titles – 200 medley relay, 200 free relay and 800 free relay – with Rachel Bootsma winning the second 100 backstroke crown of her career and Missy Franklin placing first in the 200 free, 200 individual medley and 200 back.

• NO SUMMER VACATION FOR BEARS
A total of 18 Cal swimmers took to the pool over the summer in three major meets – the World Championships in Kazan, Russia; the World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea; and the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada. Those on the current roster who earned national spots were: Rachel Bootsma (Worlds, WUG), Celina Li (WUG), Elizabeth Pelton (WUG), Noemie Thomas (Pan Am, Worlds), Kathleen Baker (Worlds), Marina Garcia (Worlds), Katie McLaughlin (Worlds) and Farida Osman (Worlds). All told, the full contingent of Golden Bears collected 30 medals over the three events.

• CELINA LI CROWNED AGAIN
Junior Celina Li captured her third consecutive Queen of the Pool crown when she won the annual competition Sept. 29 at Cal Poly. The victor is determined by combining times in five 100-yard races – backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle and individual medley. Li was clocked in 4:47.80, just edging out senior Kelly Naze, who was timed in 4:48.14. Senior Elizabeth Pelton was third in 4:50.69, followed by freshman Amy Bilquist in 4:52.41 and senior Rachel Bootsma in 4:54.37.

• ACADEMIC ACHIEVERS
In addition to their prowess in the pool, the Bears have accumulated some lofty academic honors while studying at the world's No.1 public university. Senior Rachael Acker, a French major on a pre-med track, is a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, while 16 members of the squad in 2014-15 were tabbed Pac-12 All-Academic. In addition, Cal (with a 3.29 GPA as a team) and 10 individuals with at least a 3.50 GPA were named Scholar All-Americans by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America this past season.