SPIKERS TRAVEL TO L.A.: The Cal women's volleyball team (6-6, 1-2) hits the road for a pair of Pac-10 matches in southern California this weekend. The Bears look for their first win ever against #18 UCLA (5-4, 1-3) on Friday, Oct. 3, in the Pac-10/Fox Sports TV match of the week. Cal wraps up the roadswing with a 4:00 p.m. match at #7 USC (10-1, 3-1) on Saturday, Oct. 4.

PAC-10 STANDINGS: 1t. Washington State 4-0, 16-0; 1t. Stanford 3-0, 12-2; 3t. USC 3-1, 10-1; 3t. Washington 3-1, 8-5; 3t. Arizona 2-1, 10-1; 6t. California 1-2, 6-6; 6t. UCLA 1-3, 5-4; 6t. Oregon State 1-3, 8-7; 9t. Arizona State 0-3, 9-5; 7t. Oregon 0-4, 7-7.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: UCLA is 5-4 overall, 1-3 in the Pac-10, after dropping a pair of conference matches at Washington (3-0) and Washington State (3-1) last weekend. The Bruins were ranked #18 in the Sept. 23 USA Today/AVCA Top 25 poll. Last season, UCLA posted a 17-14 record and missed postseason play for the first time in the 32-year history of the program. USC is 10-1 overall, 3-1 in the Pac-10, after suffering its first loss of the season to #6 Washington State on the road last weekend (3-2). The Trojans opened the season with nine straight victories, losing only three games total in those nine matches. USC was ranked #7 in the Sept. 23 USA Today/AVCA Top 25 poll. The Trojans finished third in the Pac-10 last season, and advanced to the NCAA Pacific Region semifinal where they were eliminated by eventual national champion Stanford.

CAL vs. THE OPPONENTS: UCLA has dominated the series with Cal, winning all 32 matches dating back to 1977. Cal came incredibly close to breaking that streak last season against the 17th-ranked Bruins in Berkeley. Cal won the first two games of the match, and was poised to win the match with a 14-7 lead in game four. But the Bruins held off five match points by the Bears, including one at 15-14, to take the fourth game, 17-15. In the rally-scoring fifth game, Cal took a 4-3 lead before UCLA scored five of the next six points to lead, 8-5, and maintained the advantage the rest of the way to post a 15-12 win to take the game and match. USC leads the series with Cal, 20-6, including 10 straight victories. The last Cal win over USC was a five-game victory in Berkeley Nov. 15, 1991. The last time the Bears beat USC in Los Angeles was Nov. 21, 1986.

Jessica Dinaberg

LAST WEEK: Cal snapped a four-match losing streak and picked up its first Pac-10 win of the season with a four-game victory over Oregon Sept. 26 at the RSF Fieldhouse, 15-11, 15-8, 10-15, 15-13. Seniors Jessica Dinaberg and Michelle Wickman led the Bears with 15 kills each, and Dinaberg had a team-high 20 digs. Junior middle blocker Elena Berman added 13 kills, 12 digs and five blocks. A late comeback by the Bears the next night against Oregon State was not enough, as the Beavers posted a five-game victory Sept. 27 in the RSF Fieldhouse, 6-15, 18-16, 15-8, 10-15, 19-17. After OSU took a 2-1 game lead, Cal bounced back to win game four, 15-10, and tie up the match. The Beavers took charge in the rally-scoring fifth game, posting a 13-8 lead, but with senior Debbie Walery serving, the Bears scored six straight points to take a 14-13 lead. After a service error tied the score, 14-14, the Bears came up short on match point at both 15-14 and 16-15. After tying the match at 17-17, OSU got consecutive kills from Miya Malauulu and Pia Ahlengard to win the game and match, 19-17.

FIVE-GAME FITS: The Bears have had their hands full in five-game matches this season, posting a 2-3 record in matches that go the full distance. After going 1-8 in five-gamers last season, Cal appeared to have found the key to winning the long ones in the early going this season. The Bears not only posted two five-game victories at the Illinois State Classic, but they earned them both in the same day (Sept. 6), knocking off undefeated Tulsa in the morning, and coming back to beat host Illinois State in the evening championship match. But, Cal has struggled in the past two weeks, dropping three five-game matches to Sacramento State, New Mexico and Oregon State.

DINABERG'S DOUBLE: When senior hitter Jessica Dinaberg put down her 18th kill of the Illinois State Classic during the Tulsa match, she became just the third player in Cal history to record 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs. The other two Bears in the 1,000-1,000 club are Lisa Arce (1987-90) and Tiffany Rochelle (1986-89).

HEAD COACH SUE WOODSTRA: Sue Woodstra is in her third year at the helm of the Golden Bears, with a record of 27-41 at Cal. A two-time U.S. Olympic team member and one of nine Olympians to currently head a women's collegiate volleyball team, Woodstra has posted a 137-80 record in six seasons as a collegiate head coach, including four years at Pittsburgh. Her assistant coaches are Oscar Crespo, Stephanie Shrieve and Ed Cohen.

Kills
        Name                Total   Years
    1.  Tiffany Rochelle    1814    1986-89
    2.  Lisa Arce           1806    1987-90
    3.  Cara Dane           1332    1990-93
    4.  Jessica Dinaberg    1107    1994-97
    5.  Morgan Cecil        1053    1989-91
    6.  Kelly Moomaw         979    1984-87
    7.  Shaney Fink          931    1990-93
    8.  Diana Yovino-Young   911    1984-87
    9.  Michelle Wickman     844    1994-97
Attempts
        Name                Total   Years
    1.  Lisa Arce           4801    1987-90
    2.  Tiffany Rochelle    4772    1986-89
    3.  Cara Dane           3394    1990-93
    4.  Jessica Dinaberg    3201    1994-97
    5.  Kelly Moomaw        2864    1984-87
    6.  Morgan Cecil        2740    1989-91
    7.  Shaney Fink         2561    1990-93
    8.  Michelle Wickman    2423    1994-97
Assists
        Name                Total   Years
    1.  Sienna Curci        4008    89,91-93
    2.  Holly McPeak        3819    1987-89
    3.  Kelly Bates         1301    1985
        Lynn Guevara        1301    1995-
    5.  Sara Allison        1275    1987-90
    6.  Teri Donohue        1265    1983-85
    7.  Heidi Henkle        1192    1986-87
    8.  Jennifer Kriste      919    1996-
Service Aces
        Name                Total   Years
    1.  Sienna Curci        136     89, 91-93
        Tiffany Rochelle    136     1986-89
    3.  Lisa Arce           128     1987-90
    4.  Teri Donohue        126     1983-85
    5.  Sue Belina          102     1981-84
    6.  Holly McPeak         98     1987-89
    7.  Judy Chow            96     1984-86
    8.  Cara Dane            90     1990-93
    9.  Michelle Wickman     87     1994-97
Digs
        Name                Total   Years
    1.  Lisa Arce           1602    1987-90
    2.  Tiffany Rochelle    1406    1986-89
    3.  Holly McPeak        1184    1987-89
    4.  Tosha Comendant     1168    1990-93
    5.  Jessica Dinaberg    1151    1994-97
Total Blocks
        Name                Total   Years
    1.  Cara Dane           434     1990-93
    2.  Carolyn Kempker     368     1986-89
    3.  Lisa Arce           364     1987-90
    4.  Diana Yovino-Young  358     1984-87
    5.  Morgan Cecil        248     1989-91
    6.  Jill Schneider      241     1990-93
    7.  Tiffany Rochelle    238     1986-89
    8.  Jenny Swart         230     1992-95
    9.  Sylvie Monnet       216     1983
    10. Michelle Wickman    185     1994-97

JESSICA DINABERG: The senior hitter leads the Bears in kill average (3.33 kpg) and is second in dig average (2.76 dpg)...named tournament MVP at the Illinois State Classic and to the all-tournament team at the Colorado State tournament...earlier this season, became just the third player in Cal history to post 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs (1107 kills, 1151 digs), and only the 29th player in Pac-10 history to accomplish that feat...ranks fourth in career kills and kill attempts and fifth in career digs at Cal...had a season-high 24 kills against Oregon State and 23 kills vs. New Mexico...recorded a season-high 20 digs vs. New Mexico and Oregon...has been the team leader in kills in seven matches this season.

MICHELLE WICKMAN: The senior hitter/setter ranks second on the team in service aces (12)...alternated between hitter and setter this season...averaging 2.02 kills and 2.19 digs per game...had a career-high 64 assists vs. Illinois State...in last three matches, is averaging 3.3 kills per game, including a season-high 15 kills against both Oregon and Oregon State...the four-year starter ranks ninth in career kills and career aces and 10th in career blocks at Cal.

ELENA BERMAN: The junior middle blocker is the only Bear to have played in every game of every match this season...ranks second on the team in hitting percentage (.240) and third in kill average (2.40 kpg) and blocking average (0.70 bpg)...had a career high 18 kills vs. New Mexico and hit a season-high .405 (18k-3e-37att)...recorded a season-high seven blocks along with 12 kills against Oregon State.

KELLIE ALVA: The sophomore middle blocker ranks second on the team in blocking average (0.79 bpg) and is averaging 1.76 kills per game...recorded a season-high 16 kills along with seven blocks vs. New Mexico...posted a career-high eight blocks against Oregon State.

Brook Coulter

BROOK COULTER: The sophomore hitter leads the Bears in service aces (16) and ranks sixth in the Pac-10 in ace average (0.35 apg)...recorded a career-high six service aces against Tulsa...in last three matches, has averaged 3.14 kills per game, including season-high 16 kills against New Mexico and 14 kills against both Oregon and Oregon State...posted season-high 24 digs against New Mexico...named to the all-tournament team at the Notre Dame Tournament of Champions...posted career high two block solos and four total blocks against Oregon...has played in 46 of the team's 47 games, averaging 1.85 kills and 2.15 digs per game.

JENNIFER KRISTE: The sophomore setter ranks eighth in the Pac-10 in assist average (10.29 apg)... recorded a career-high 74 assists vs. New Mexico...has eight service aces and 12 blocks on the season.

AMANDA SELBY: In her first season at Cal, the sophomore middle blocker leads the team in hitting percentage (.290) and blocking average (1.22 bpg)...recorded career-high 10 blocks against Illinois State... averaging 2.11 kills per game, fourth best on team...missed the last five matches with stress fracture... redshirted last season after transferring from UCLA.

ALICIA PERRY: A redshirt freshman, she leads the team and ranks 10th in the Pac-10 in dig average (2.80 dpg)...ranks second on the team in kill average (2.54 kpg)...slammed a career-high 23 kills along with 18 digs and four blocks against Illinois State...recorded 14 kills and 12 digs against Oregon State...ranks seventh in the Pac-10 in service ace average (0.31 apg)...has three double-doubles this season, with 23 kills and 18 digs against Illinois State, 15 kills and 15 digs against Sacramento State, and 14 kills and 12 digs against Oregon State.