Nov. 9, 2007

Box Score

SEATTLE, Wash. - The No. 7 California volleyball team (20-6, 10-5 Pac-10) had its four-match winning streak snapped, falling in four (16-30, 30-21, 30-26, 30-22) to No. 4 Washington (23-2, 12-2) at Bank of America Arena tonight.

Senior outside hitter Angie Pressey led the way for the Bears with 18 kills (10e, 40att, .200), registering her ninth double-double match of the year with 11 digs in the losing effort. Sophomore libero Kristen Kathan led the team with 18 digs on the night and senior middle Ellen Orchard hit .421 with 10 kills (2e, 19att) while adding a team-high seven total blocks (one solo).

Cal opened up the match in impressive fashion, taking game one 30-16 behind a .517 hitting percentage. The Bears had points off of 18 kills with only three errors on 29 attacks. Washington didn't help itself in the first game, allowing the Bears to hold them to .000 hitting (8k, 8e, 33att). Adding three team blocks and two service aces in the opening round, the Bears ran away with a 1-0 lead.

The second game was nearly the opposite of the first as Cal surrendered 11 kills to the Huskies, who only needed 28 attacks to get their points (3e, .286). Up 2-1, four consecutive attack errors by the Bears flipped the score to 5-2 in Washington's favor. Six of the Huskies first 10 points in game two came off of Cal attack errors. The Bears completed the second game hitting a match-low .130, needing 46 attempts to get 16 kills and ending up with 10 errors.

With the match tied up at a game a piece, the Bears fought the Huskies toe-to-toe in the third, earning a 26-all tie score. Cal errors doomed the Bears as Washington took the final four points to go up two games to one heading into the fourth and deciding game. The Bears hit .147 in the third (14k, 9e, 34att) against the Huskies .091 (12k, 9e, 33att).

The Bears jumped out to a four-point lead to open the fourth game but a Washington timeout gave the Huskies new life as they responded with a four-point run of their own to tie the score. Junior outside/middle Morgan Beck and sophomore middle Mindi Wiley teamed up on a block to give the Bears an 11-10 lead. But the Huskies tied the score up on the very next play on a kill by freshman outside hitter Becky Perry. The 11-all score would be the closest the Bears would come as the Huskies closed out the match with a 30-22 victory in game four.

Hitting .217 (61k, 30e, 143att) to Washington's .174 (48k, 25e, 132att), Cal lost only its second match this season when hitting better than its opponent. Husky senior outside Christal Morrison led the way for Washington, notching 17 kills and hitting .250 (6e, 44att). The Bears gave up nine service aces to the Huskies; the second most by an opponent this season behind Oregon's 10 on Oct. 4.

The Bears will return to Haas Pavilion next week for the regular season's final two home matches. Cal hosts Arizona on Friday, Nov. 16 and Arizona State on Saturday, Nov. 17. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m. The final match of the year against the Sun Devils is Senior Night. The Bears will honor outside hitter Angie Pressey and middle hitter Ellen Orchard in ceremonies preceding the first serve.