Nov. 12, 2011

Final Stats

SEATTLE - With a 3-1 victory in hand over No. 11 Washington on Saturday evening, No. 5 California upped its winning streak at the Huskies' Alaska Airlines Arena to five matches. Though UW took set two, the Golden Bears ultimately prevailed 25-21, 25-23, 22-25, 25-23.

Thanks to a 3-1 victory at Haas Pavilion on Oct. 14, Cal sweeps the regular-season series with Washington. Last year, the Bears not only swept the Huskies during the Pac-10 matches - both wins coming by scores of 3-1 - but then swept UW, 3-0, at the Seattle Regional to advance to the national semifinal match. Saturday evening's victory knots the all-time series record at 29-29.

With two victories in the Pacific Northwest in hand, the Bears return to the San Francisco Bay Area boasting a 25-4 overall record and a 15-4 Pac-12 record. After upsetting Stanford on Friday night, Washington now stands at 19-7 and 10-7 in the Conference.

Tarah Murrey led all players with 18.5 points and 17 kills. Murrey also had 14 digs for a double-double - her 14th of the season. Shannon Hawari paced everyone on the court by hitting .556 with 12 kills (2e, 18att).

Kat Brown amassed an incredible nine blocks, along with five kills for 11 points. Brown's eight block assists tied her season high and her nine combined blocks one upped her previous season high.

Elly Barrett dished up 51 assists and had 11 digs for her ninth double-double of the year. Robin Rostratter led all players with 23 digs. Marlee Davis' 11 digs are a career high, besting her previous high of nine.

Completing her comeback from a dislocated ankle, Adrienne Gehan had double-digit kills for the first time since the Stanford match on Sept. 13. Gehan's 34 swings tied her season best, which came against the Cardinal.

Set one began with six ties before a 6-1 Cal run put the Bears up 12-7 and then five unanswered points later, the Bears owned a 22-13 lead. Try as they might - coming as close as 24-21 - the Huskies could not assemble a big enough comeback, and Cal took set one 25-21. Though the Bears trailed for much of set two, a string of five Tarah Murrey kills helped Cal to a 25-23 set-two victory.

Though leading by as much as seven, the Bears dropped set three due in no small part to an 11-1 run by the Huskies midway through the set. Washington appeared poised to send the match to five sets, leading by as much as two points towards the end of set four, but the Bears posted three unanswered points to regain the lead and win the set 25-23 and the match 3-1.

Set One - Cal 25, Washington 21:

Cal's first two points of the evening came from Correy Johnson kills off Elly Barrett back sets, tying things at one and two all. Following the sixth knot of the set at 6-6, the Bears went on a 6-1 run to lead 12-7. The Huskies responded with a 5-1 spurt of their own to come within one at 13-12. Adrienne Gehan twice tooled it off the UW block for the Bears to move ahead 15-13 and then 18-13. With Marlee Davis back to serve, Cal rattled off five unanswered points - two of which came thanks to back-to-back Shannon Hawari kills - to lead 22-13. The Huskies dug deep to muster an 8-2 run to keep themselves in the set at 24-21; however, they thrice warded off set point before hitting the ball out for set point.

Set Two - Cal 25, Washington 23:

A block by Kat Brown and Correy Johnson nailed Krista Vansant in the face, giving Cal an ever so slight edge at 3-2. Correy Johnson stemmed a six-point flow by Washington, bringing the Bears to three behind at 8-5. After trailing for 11 points, a Tarah Murrey kill brought Cal even with the Huskies at 11-11. Johnson kills tied the set at 16 and then cut UW's lead to one at 19-18. With three kills, Murrey tied the set at 20, 21 and 22. A block by Kat Brown and Johnson, coupled with two Murrey kills pushed the Bears to the 25-23 set win.

Set Three - Washington 25, Cal 22:

After the match was knotted at one, two, three and the fourth time was the charm for it began a 7-0 Cal run, allowing the Bears to take charge of the set at 10-4. Shannon Hawari nailed a line shot to up the Bears' advantage to six at 11-5. With the Bears up by seven at 14-7, an 11-1 run not only brought the Huskies back into heat of things, but it also decimated Cal's attack, earning Washington an 18-15 lead. A kill by Adrienne Gehan and an ace by Kat Brown caught Cal up to within two of the Huskies, 20-18. A kill by Hawari cut UW's lead to two, a Cal service error gave the Huskies the 25-22 match-continuing win.

Set Four - Cal 25, Washington 23:

Kat Brown and Tarah Murrey put down kills to distance Cal 9-8 and 10-9, respectively, only to see Washington tie it at nine and 10. A pair of blocks by Correy Johnson and Kat Brown and then Adrienne Gehan and Shannon Hawari gave the Bears an 18-17 lead. The Huskies held at least a one-point lead until two kills by Kat Brown and a block by Brown and Murrey put Cal ahead, 24-23. Kylin Munoz hit it long for set point.

What's Next:

After the two weekends on the road, Cal returns home to close its regular-season home schedule by hosting the Oregon schools. On Friday, Nov. 18, the Bears welcome Oregon State for a 7 p.m. first serve. Saturday, Nov. 19 will the final home match of the regular season, when Cal hosts Oregon at 7 p.m. Since it's the final home match, it will be Tarah Murrey evening as she is honored on Senior Night.