Volleyball downs Arizona, 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-21) to improve to 14-2 overall and 4-2 in the Pac-12... Bears face Arizona State tomorrow at 7 p.m. right here at Haas Pavilion.

A brief a look at the action from the third level of Haas...

 

Cal fans, if you can't make it to Haas Pavilion tonight for the volleyball match, we will have live streaming video of the Bears against Arizona at 7 p.m. Just log on to http://www.calbears.com/allaccess/?media=257263.

 

Women's soccer fans can also watch the Cal-Washington match in Seattle online for free at http://www.gohuskies.com/allaccess/?media=256765.

The field hockey team got an action-packed weekend of Golden Bear athletics started off right with a 4-0 win over Temple in Philadelphia... http://www.calbears.com/sports/w-fieldh/recaps/093011aaa.html

 

 

You can see the Cal field hockey team take on Temple today at noon with live streaming video available at http://www.fansonly.com/schools/tem/allaccess/index.html.

Senior women's tennis standout Jana Juricova had extra motivation during her NCAA title run last spring.
Lubomir and Jana, the parents of the Slovak Republic native, had traveled to the United States and were on hand to witness their daughter capture the NCAA singles championship at the Taube Family Tennis Center on the Stanford campus, last May.

"It was the first time they were here in the United States to visit," said Juricova. "They watched my matches online many times, before, but hadn't seen me play in a competition in person in almost five years."

Juricova's parents made the 16-hour trip to Berkeley to see their daughter excel at the sport she loves and experience all the great characteristics of the area.

"It was great to have my parents there when I won the championship and also experience where I have lived for the past couple of years," Juricova explained. "I was happy to see them enjoy the Bay Area and take in all the great things I love so much about this area."

Juricova usually travels home twice during the calendar year to visit family and friends in her home town of Piestany in the Slovak Republic. While their time together in person is limited, the Juricova family stays well-connected in other ways.

"We Skype all the time," a smiling Juricova says. "It is such a great invention. We usually interact on Skype once a week.

"The difficulty is finding the best time," Juricova explains, citing the nine-hour time difference between the two places.

Juricova grew up in the Slovak Republic where she took up the game of tennis at the age of five thanks to her older brother, who she would compete against all the time. 

Tennis back then was a little different then the game she plays today, however.

"We would hit with wooden rackets that weighed a lot," explained the senior. "My parents don't play tennis so we had to borrow rackets from my cousin. My friends always told me all I ever wanted to do was go and hit the ball."

She quickly excelled at the game, and earned an invitation to participate in the 2007 Fed Cup. Highly-recruited from universities in the United States, Juricova took one visit to the Berkeley campus and her decision was made.

"I had a lot of friends that were playing tennis at the college level in the United States and I thought it would be a great opportunity," said Juricova. "I looked to see what was out there and as soon as I learned about California, they offered me a scholarship. I knew how great of a school it is academically and athletically. When I came to visit, it was a clear decision for me."

Her passion for tennis is equaled by her love for the Berkeley area. The political economy major recently completed an internship working with a local non-profit organization and has developed a desire to work with human rights groups.

"Being in Berkeley, it is so well-rounded and I really became interested in working with non-profit organizations," Juricova said. "My internship was my first work in the field. It was cool to experience it."

While she misses the food back home, Juricova has developed into quite the chef herself, citing chocolate cake as her specialty.

The senior also enjoys hiking and swimming in her free time and isn't shy about her love of coffee. 

"I am addicted to coffee," said the senior. "I like sitting at a café and reading. It is very relaxing. The Rose Garden near campus is a great place to grab a cup of coffee and relax."

Back on the court, she begins her defense of the NCAA singles title on Friday as the Bears host the Cal Nike Invitational this weekend at the Hellman Tennis Complex.

"It was an awesome feeling, last year," said Juricova, who avenged a loss to Georgia's Chelsey Gullickson in the 2010 championship match with a straight-set victory in the quarterfinals of last year's title run. "After I saw my opponent hit the ball into the net, it took me like five seconds to realize it is over and I won. I am proud to do it for Cal and I want to do it as a team this year."

As Juricova begins her final season with the Bears, this weekend, she has aspirations to continue playing the sport at the professional level, saying "I don't feel like I am done with tennis."

In the meantime, Juricova will lead the Bears into an exciting fall season that features six tournaments.

The senior was asked to describe her career at Cal, so far, to which she quickly replied... "Amazing!"

You can catch Jana and all the Golden Bears in action this weekend at the Cal Nike Invitational. Log on to http://www.tennisinformation.com/tourny/5/2/0/6/3/9/2/draw-3-mf.asp for a complete list of brakcets and match times.  

 

Women's soccer sophomore goal keeper Emily Kruger is featured on the Pac-12 website, Pac-12.org for her standout play with the Golden Bears and her work with the Invisible Children organization. You can check out the full story at http://bit.ly/qU6Mhl.

The Discovery Channel Canada came to Evans Diamond on the Berkeley campus earlier this week to film a piece for an upcoming show focusing on the science behind baseball. The crew filmed assistant coach Brad Sanfilippo hitting fly balls to senior outfielder Chad Bunting. They shot a variety of different angles following the trajectory of the ball.

The piece is scheduled to air sometime later this fall.

 

 

 

 

 

Bay Area News Group: Wednesday Practice Update

Bay Area News Group: Healthy Jahvid Best helps energize Lions

Bay Area News Group: Ross Signs with Indianapolis

BearTerritory.net: Maynard and the Cal offense ready for Oregon's speedy D

Daily Californian (Men's Soccer): Here and Now

Daily Californian (Women's Golf): Cal's organization, mental toughness key

Daily Californian (Field Hockey): Cal looks to fly by Hawks in Philadelphia

Daily Californian (Men's Tennis): "Blue Collar" Bears hope depth will minimize loss of Zerbini

The Paul Hornung Award, created by the Louisville Sports Commission, is once again honoring the most versatile player in major college football. The award is designed to promote college football and help preserve the legacy of Hornung, the 1956 Heisman Trophy winner and NFL MVP for the Green Bay Packers. He set a single-season NFL scoring record that stood for 46 years.

Keenan Allen is one of a select group of student-athletes from around the nation in the running for the Paul Hornung Award and he needs your vote.

A national selection committee comprised of 16 sports journalists and former NFL stars. This year, fan voting on Facebook will comprise the 17th vote.  

Log on to www.votepaulhornung.com today and vote for Keenan. You can vote once a day so make sure to come back daily and show Keenan the support he deserves.

 

We are debuting a new feature on the Cal Bear Blog... Cal clips. We have compiled all the articles written on California athletics in Tuesday's various media outlets. You can read all about your beloved Golden Bears right here by clicking on each of the links below.

Don't forget to check back each day for your daily dose of Cal Clips!

San Francisco Chronicle: Bye week beneficial for Cal to prep for Oregon

 

Bay Area News Group: Freshman cornerback Stefan McClure to get more opportunities as Bears look to improve poor pass defense

 

BearTerritory.net: Cal turns up tempo during bye week

 

Daily Californian (football): Pac-12 Power Rankings-Week 4

 

Daily Californian (men's golf): Bears place fifth at Iowa tournament

 

Daily Californian (volleyball): Pac-12 Power Rankings

 Pac-12.org (women's soccer): Cal Bear with international intentions

 

 

Cal fans! As you know, California Memorial Stadium is undergoing an expansive upgrade and we got a look inside to see what's going on as construction continues inside the facility.

Work is underway to retrofit and renovate the historic building, bringing it up to modern standards and creating a facility that will significantly reduce seismic risk and ensure life safety for the hundreds of thousands of fans who attend games every year - all while maintaining the architecture and character of the celebrated structure. The long-anticipated project is expected to be completed for the 2012 football season.

You can see in the videos below, the new press box is being assembled on the ground. In the coming weeks, the massive structure will be hoisted into place on the four cement pillars you see constructed on the far end of the stadium.

We will continue to update you here on the Cal Bear Blog throughout the project.

Men's Water Polo
Senior Matt Golden tallied five goals and redshirt freshman Blake Kelly added three goals as No. 3-ranked California defeated Fresno Pacific, 17-1, as part of the Aggie Shootout at UC Davis. The Golden Bears improved to 7-1 season and will next play No. 15-ranked Santa Clara at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Schaal Aquatics Center.
 
Field Hockey
The No. 12 California Golden Bears blanked the Pacific Tigers, 4-0, on Sunday at Maxwell Family Field in Berkeley. Senior defender Erin Magill had a goal and an assist in the victory.
 
Women's Soccer
The No. 11 Cal women's soccer team had its eight-match winning streak come to an end with a 3-0 setback at No. 21 Santa Clara at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
The Bears suffered their first defeat since the season opener against Pepperdine on Aug. 19.
 
Women's Golf
The California Golden Bears finished the Mason Rudolph Fall Preview, a tournament featuring the top teams in golf, in tenth place. Senior Emily Childs had the low round of the day for Cal, shooting a one-under 71.

The tournament was held at the Vanderbilt Legends Club course (par 72 - 6426 yards). The course, in Franklin, Tenn., will be the site of the 2012 NCAA Championships.
 
For the Bears, the team posted a 297 in the final round and finished at +29 with a total score of 893.

Football

Despite 349 yards passing (his most at Cal), quarterback Zach Maynard and the Golden Bears fell just short in a 31-23 defeat at Washington Saturday afternoon in Seattle. The loss snapped a season-opening three-game winning streak for the Bears, who fell to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in the Pac-12.

On the game's final drive, Maynard converted on three straight third downs to move Cal into Washington territory. A pass interference call on Desmond Trufant gave Cal a first down at the Washington 21-yard line with 48 seconds left. Maynard connected with Kennan Allen for 19 yards down to the Washington 2-yard line.

An incompletion and a pair of runs left Cal facing fourth down from the 2-yard line. Maynard's fourth-down pass for Allen sailed high and out of the end zone as Washington held on for the victory with a stout defensive stand.

Earlier in the contest, Maynard hooked up with Allen on a 90-yard touchdown pass to set the Cal record for longest pass play in school history and tie for the sixth longest play from scrimmage at Cal. Allen finished the day with 10 catches for a career-best 197 yards and a touchdown.  

 

Cross Country

With senior Deborah Maier winning her 6000-meter race by a comfortable 12 seconds, the unrated Cal women's cross country team made a bold national statement with a first-place tie at the Roy Griak Invitational Saturday, matching No. 8 Iowa State in the team standings and finishing ahead of seven other ranked squads. The Golden Bears' undermanned men's team was ninth.

Maier, a two-time first-team All-Pac-10 selection and an All-American last fall, stayed near the front over the entire course. She was in second at both the 1,000- and 3,000-meter marks before pulling away at the end and crossing the line in 20:29.2. BYU senior Morgan Haws claimed second in 29:41.5. The victory was Maier's second of the year after easily winning the Sac State Jamboree by over 30 seconds Sept. 10.

 

Men's Water Polo

No. 3-ranked California was paced by senior Ivan Rackov's four goals as the Golden Bears secured an 8-6 victory over No. 6 Pacific Saturday in a non-conference match at Chris Kjeldsen Pool in Stockton. Cal improved to 6-1 season and will be playing the Tigers (4-3) in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match in Berkeley on Nov. 11.

 

Women's Volleyball

The Southern California woes for the No. 1 California volleyball team continued Saturday evening at UCLA's John Wooden Center with the No. 7 Bruins toppling the Golden Bears, 3-1 (25-17, 25-20, 19-25, 25-15), in front of a boisterous crowd of 2,150.

Cal drops to 13-2 overall and 3-2 in the Pac-12 while the Bruins move to 11-2 and 4-1 in conference play after getting two wins over the Bay Area schools.

 

Women's Golf

The California Golden Bear women's golf team posted a 290 in the second round of the Mason Rudolph Fall Preview, a score 16 strokes better than their first round total. Sophomore Nicola Roessler led the team with a one-under 71.

California was one of many schools to drop their scores out of the 300's in the second round of play, but few had such a dramatically better second round. The Bears began the day in 15th place and moved up to ninth at the end of the second round after logging a team score of +2 for the second 18 holes.

 

Men's & Women's Swimming

The Cal men's swimmers combined with the Golden Bear women's swimmers to capture all four relays on Saturday morning in co-ed races at Cal Poly's Anderson Aquatic Center.

Cal won the first event - the 200-yard medley relay - in a time of 1:38.67. The Bears swam a time of 1:30.49 to win the next event - the 200-yard freestyle relay. Cal took another 200 medley relay in a time of 1:38.19 before clocking a time of 1:29.40 to win the last 200 free relay.

 

 

Former Cal and Washington players now in the NFL will have a close eye on today's football game between the Bears and the Huskies. They weren't bashful in sharing their opinions on the outcome of today's contest. Check it out...

 

The men's and women's soccer teams got the weekend off to a strong start with shutout victories in afternoon contests. The men posted a 3-0 win against Vermont over in Palo Alto at the Stanford Nike Classic, while the women opened Pac-12 play with a 1-0 win at home against Arizona State.

 

In a rematch of the 2010 NCAA semifinal match - in which California swept USC to advance to the first national championship match in program history - No. 12 USC turned the tables on top-ranked California. The Golden Bears suffered their first loss of the season on Friday night, when the Trojans defended their home court by sweeping the Golden Bears (25-23, 25-20, 25-22) at the Galen Center in Los Angeles.

 

No. 12 Stanford edged No. 8 Cal, 3-2, in Palo Alto. Junior forward Rachelle Comeau scored both of Cal's goals.

 

California junior swimmer Caitlin Leverenz successfully defended her crown at Cal Poly's Queen of the Pool meet on Friday at Anderson Aquatic Center. The reigning queen for three consecutive seasons, Leverenz posted the lowest combined time of 4:45.12 - almost three seconds faster than last year's 4:48.03 - among the assembled Golden Bears and Mustangs after swimming in five 100-yard events.

Leverenz swam the fastest time in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:02.65) and 100-yard individual medley (56.79).

 

In a repeat performance from last season, Cal's Marcin Tarczynski was again crowned the "King of the Pool" during an exhibition pentathlon swim meet at Cal Poly's Anderson Aquatic Center in San Luis Obispo, combining the day's overall fastest times in the 100 fly, 100 back, 100 breast, 100 free and 100 individual medley. Tarczynski, a sophomore from Warsaw, Poland, had the lowest aggregate time of 4:16.18, edging senior teammate Martin Liivamagi's overall mark of 4:17.50 and junior standout Tom Shield's time of 4:17.79.

 

The California men's tennis team earned three singles victories and added a win in doubles at the conclusion of the first day of the 2011 Land Rover Napa Valley Tennis Classic at the Meadowood Resort. USTA junior players went 5-3 in singles matches, but Cal had the distinction as one of two collegiate squads to post a 3-1 mark after day one. UCLA was the other team.

Senior Ahmed Ismail replaced No. 26-ranked junior Carlos Cueto in Cal's lineup and impressed with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Tulsa's Grant Ive to open up the day. No. 45-ranked senior Nick Andrews and sophomore Ben McLachlaneach earned wins over USTA juniors. Andrews took out JC Aragone, 6-2, 7-5, and McLachlan mounted a comeback to give the Golden Bears a third win as he defeated Luca Corinteli, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

 

Senior Daniela Holmqvist is in a tie for ninth place after the first round of the Mason Rudolph Fall Preview tournament in Franklin, Tenn. Holmqvist shot a one-over 73 to pace the Bears.

California, playing against some of the top teams in the nation at the par-72, 6,426 yard Vanderbilt Legends Club, ended the first round in 15th place in the field of 18 teams, turning in a 306 (+18). USC leads the field at +4 (292). Overall, the scores for all the teams were much higher than recent Mason Rudolph Tournaments. The conditions in the morning were cool and the course played longer than usual. New Bermuda greens played a factor as well.

 

 

 

 

Hey Bears fans! My name is Doug Drabik, the newest member of the Athletic Communications Office here at California. It is my pleasure to deliver you the most-up-to-date news and notes as well as inside features on each of your favorite Cal programs. The Cal Bear Blog will be THE PLACE to go before, during and after the game. In the coming weeks, we will debut videos, live chats, contests and much, much more here at the Cal Bear Blog so stay tuned. You can follow us on twitter @CalBearBlog right from your phone during the contest.

Please don't hesitate to reach out (link is on the right) and tell me what you want to see on this blog and I will do everything I can to make it happen. I hope you are as excited as me to get the new CalBearBlog started.

Before I sign off with my first post, I want to send my sincere gratitude to David Seawright, who was the man behind the CalBearBlog last season. He did an outstanding job and I wish him the best in his future endeavors.

I hope this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship... GO BEARS!

Doug