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Sept. 5, 2000

BERKELEY, CA - Fri.-Sat. Sept. 8-9 Golden Bear Volleyball Classic, Recreational Sports Facility, Berkeley, CA Fri. Sept. 8 George Washington vs. Florida 5 p.m. Fri. Sept. 8 McNeese State vs. California 7 p.m. Sat. Sept. 9 Consolation/Championship 5 p.m./7 p.m.

HEAD COACH RICH FELLER: Rich Feller (15-16 at Cal, career 314-183, .632) is in his second season as the head coach of Cal's women's volleyball program. Feller took over the Bears coaching reins when he was hired in December 1998. He comes to Cal after a stint as an assistant coach on the USA National Team and 14 successful years as head coach at Colorado State (1983-96) where he led the Rams to eight NCAA Tournament appearances and 12 Top 25 national rankings. Feller earned his 300th career victory when the Bears defeated Denver, 3-1, Sept. 4, 1999.

BEAR NOTES: The Cal volleyball team (2-1) will host the inaugural Golden Bear Volleyball Classic Sept. 8-9 at the Recreational Sports Facility (originally scheduled for Haas Pavilion) on the Cal campus. The Bears returned last weekend from the Silver Legacy/Ray Wersching Invitational in Reno, NV with a second place finish. Cal defeated host Nevada, 3-1 (7-15, 15-10, 15-11, 15-8) Sept. 1, fell to No. 11 ranked Minnesota, 3-0 (15-6, 15-6, 15-5) Sept. 2 and defeated Kent State, 3-0 (15-3, 15-11, 15-5) Sept. 2. A top player for the Bears was 5-10 freshman outside hitter Gabrielle Abernathy. In Abernathy's college debut versus Nevada, she had a team-leading 17 kills and 13 digs. She went on to tally 34 kills, a team-high 23 digs and eight total blocks during the tournament's three matches. Abernathy was a member of the all-tournament team along with 5-9 senior outside hitter/setter Alicia Perry. Perry had a team-high 37 kills during the weekend and recorded 21 digs. She had an impressive .481 hitting percentage (15 kills, two errors, 27 attempts) in the Bears 3-0 victory over Kent State. In the victory at Nevada, the Bears started two true freshmen in Abernathy and 6-0 middle blocker Jessica Zatica. Besides Abernathy's 17 kills, Perry, 5-10 sophomore outside hitter Leah Young and 6-0 junior setter/outside hitter Candace McNamee had 14, 12 and 11 kills respectively. McNamee also recorded her second career triple double with 11 digs and 37 assists. 5-11 sophomore middle blocker Reena Pardiwala, who sat out the entire 1999 season with a ruptured disk in her lower back, led Cal with four block solos. Pardiwala currently leads the Bear starters with a .333 hitting percentage (16 kills, four errors, 36 attempts), has 21 digs and a team-high five solo blocks and 16 total blocks so far this season. McNamee is doing a solid job as both an outside hitter and a setter with 30 kills and 73 assists in the first three matches. She is currently third on the Cal all-time assist list with 1992 career assists. The other Bear who is a member of the Bears all-time career Top 10 list is Perry, who is eighth on the career kill list with 937 and ninth with 2584 kill attempts.

CAL VS. THE OPPONENTS: Cal meets McNeese State for the first time. The Cowgirls went 2-1 last weekend at the Marquette Challenge and host Louisiana-Lafayette Sept. 5. McNeese State is led by 5-9 senior outside hitter Anissa Parker, who was the MVP of the Marquette Challenge with 61 kills in three matches. The Bears have a 1-2 all-time record against Florida and a 0-1 all-time record against George Washington. No. 12 ranked Florida is currently 3-2 and is led by 6-1 junior middle blocker Nicole McCray (71 kills, .397 hitting percentage). George Washington is 4-0 (travels to Maryland-Baltimore County Sept. 5), has won 12 straight games and is led by 6-1 senior outside hitter Tracee Brown (36 kills, .456 hitting percentage).

PLAYER NOTES:

GABRIELLE ABERNATHY: Had a team-high 17 kills and 13 digs Sept. 1 at Nevada...also had a service ace, a block solo and three block assists versus the Wolf Pack...was named Silver Legacy/Ray Wersching Invitational all-tournament...finished the three matches with 34 kills, a team-leading 23 digs and eight total blocks.

REENA PARDIWALA: Leads the Bear starters with a .333 hitting percentage (16 kills, four errors, 36 attempts)...also has 21 digs and a team-high five block solos and 16 total blocks...Sept. 1 at Nevada had a career-high 10 digs, four block solos and eight total blocks...had sat out the whole 1999 season after rupturing a disk in her lower back.

CANDACE MCNAMEE: Recorded her second career triple-double Sept. 1 at Nevada with 11 kills, 11 digs and 37 assists (second among Pac-10 players this season)...had a team-high 12 kills Sept. 2 versus Minnesota...in first three games has 30 kills and a team-high 73 assists...currently has 1992 career assists, which is already third on the Cal career assist list...her 1992 career assists ranks her sixth among current Pac-10 players...her 1101 assists as a freshman was the 10th-best Cal single-season mark.

LEAH YOUNG: Had a solid match Sept. 1 at Nevada with a career-high 12 kills, 32 attempts and five digs...Sept. 2 versus Minnesota had a career-high two block solos, and Sept. 2 versus Kent State had four block assists and a career-high five total blocks.

ALICIA PERRY: Was selected to the Silver Legacy/Ray Wersching Invitational all-tournament team after leading Cal with a team-high 37 kills and recording 21 digs...had an impressive .481 hitting percentage (15 kills, two errors, 27 attempts) Sept. 2 versus Kent State...is currently eighth on the Cal all-time career kill list (937) and ninth on the Cal all-time kill attempt list (2584)...among active Pac-10 players she is third in career kills, third in career digs (759) and 10th in career total blocks (148).

JESSICA ZATICA: Joined Abernathy as one of two true freshmen to start the season opener Sept. 1 at Nevada...had one block solo and eight block assists versus the Wolf Pack...also recorded four kills Sept. 2 versus Kent State...is second on the team with 15 total blocks...has a .316 hitting percentage (seven kills, one error, 19 attempts).

CAITY NOONAN: Sophomore setter is second on the team with 63 assists...leads the team with three service aces, recording a service ace in each of the first three matches...had nine digs and 26 assists in the season-opener Sept. 1 at Nevada.

ASHLEIGH TURNER: Has played in nine of the Bears 10 games this season as a true freshman...started as a middle blocker Sept. 2 versus Minnesota and Kent State...had six digs and two kills in the season-opener Sept. 1 at Nevada...had recorded 18 digs and two service aces in the first three matches.