Feller Joins 500 Club as No. 14 Bears Blast Beavers in 3-0 Sweep

California volleyball senior outside hitter Hana Cutura led all players with 20 kills

Oct. 17, 2009

CORVALLIS, Ore. - California volleyball head coach Rich Feller recorded his 500th career victory as the No. 14-ranked Golden Bears swept Oregon State, 25-22, 25-23, 25-22, tonight (Oct. 17) at Gill Coliseum. Cal improved to 10-7 on the year (3-4 Pac-10) and sent the Beavers to 11-8 (2-5 Pac-10). Senior outside hitter Hana Cutura led all players with 20 kills (5e, 47att, .319) and logged her fifth double-double of the season with 12 digs.

Sophomore outside hitter Tarah Murrey was second on the team with 13 kills (5e, 32att, .250) and posted her fourth double-double of the season with 13 digs. Junior setter Carli Lloyd also had a double-double as she put up 13 digs and 38 assists to move ahead of Candace McNamee (1998-01) into fourth all-time in career assists at Cal, now with 3,641. On her 21st birthday, senior libero Kristen Kathan led all players with 19 digs and is just two digs shy of moving into fourth place all-time at Cal. Freshman opposite hitter Correy Johnson had seven kills (4e, 16att, .188).

As a team, the Bears posted a .230 attack percentage in the match and had 49 kills (20e, 126att) while holding the Beavers to a .142 attack rate with 40 kills (21e, 134att). Cal also out-dug Oregon State, 61-49, in the match. Beaver senior outside hitter Rachel Rourke led her team with 19 kills (7e, 43att, .279) with senior middle hitter Lexie Rathgeber putting in nine kills (3e, 26att, .231).

The Bears held the first lead of the third set but Oregon State battled back to tie the score at eight-all before the Beavers ran ahead by three points at 14-11 as junior outside hitter Jill Sawatzky earned a service ace off a let serve. Cal continued to plug away and pulled into a 16-all tie as Cutura scored two kills. Oregon State got ahead by two points again but Murrey blasted two attacks down the line for consecutive kills to knot the set for the eighth time at 19-all. The Bears regained the lead at 21-20 as Lloyd and Wiley teamed up to stuff Sawatzky's attack before Murrey posted her 13th kill of the night off the Beaver block. Sawatzky's attack error put the Bears up by three points at 24-21 but it was Cutura who logged her 20th kill of the night on a cross-court shot to seal the 3-0 win for the Bears. Cal was aggressive offensively to post a .179 attack rate in the final stanza with 15 kills (8e, 39att) but it was the Bear defense that did a number on Oregon State to hold the Beavers to a .068 attack percentage (12k, 9e, 44att).

Cal jumped out to a three point first-set lead at 7-4 as Sawatzky put a serve into the net. Two straight kills by Rourke and a Cal error pulled the Beavers into a seven-all tie before Oregon State went up by four at 13-9 on a service ace by Rourke. The Bears fought to stay close and got three straight kills from Cutura, Murrey and Wiley to claim a 17-16 lead. Cal went up by three at 19-16 when Lloyd and Wiley met at the net to block Rourke's attack. Cutura crushed a cut shot off a Beaver defender to give Cal the 21-19 lead before Oregon State tied the score once again at 21-all. Murrey and Cutura got up for consecutive kills to give the lead back to the Bears when Cutura took a pass from Kathan and blasted it off the Beaver block to give Cal set point. An Oregon State attack error ended the set, 25-22, for Cal as the Bears posted a .163 attack rate with 15 kills (8e, 43att) and held the Beavers to .089 with 12 kills (8e, 45att).

The Beavers seized early control of the second set as they pulled out ahead by four at 14-10 on a kill by senior outside hitter Bree Knitter but the Bears knocked down three straight kills to pull within one at 14-13. Oregon State stood firm and went ahead by four once more at 17-13, but Cal had another answer as Cutura and Johnson registered consecutive kills to pull the Bears within one point at 17-16. An off-speed shot by Murrey off a pass from Kathan put the Bears ahead for the first time since they led, 1-0, with a 19-18 lead. The teams faced their ninth tie of the set at 22-all before Wiley gained control for the Bears for the final time when she delayed her attack on a slide play to get a tip kill. Rourke put one of her attacks out of bounds to give Cal set point before Cutura sealed the deal with a cross-court shot for the final kill and a 25-23 second-set win. The Bears posted 19 kills in the second set (4e, 44att) and a .341 attack percentage to outpace the Beavers, who attacked at a .267 rate with 16 kills (4e, 45att).

The Bears return home to begin a four-match run as Arizona (Friday, Oct. 23) and Arizona State (Sunday, Oct. 25) visit Haas Pavilion. Cal hosts Dig for the Cure night as the Bears take on the Wildcats. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to the match as a special donation will be taken to benefit the Alta Bates Summit Carol Ann Read Breast Health Center and breast cancer research. Fans receive free admission with a Cal vs. Washington State football ticket when the Bears face the Sun Devils. The Sunday match will be broadcast live by Comcast SportsNet California. Please check CalBears.com for more information.