Sept. 21, 2009

BERKELEY - The No. 12-ranked California volleyball team (7-3) renews its rivalry with No. 10 Stanford (7-3) in the 69th Big Spike this Friday, Sept. 25, in a 7 p.m. match. The Golden Bears want to "Pack the Pavilion" as they look to break the Haas Pavilion volleyball attendance record and have over 4,000 fans in the stands as Cal and Stanford square off in the first Pac-10 match of the season.

The Bears and the Cardinal split matches last year with the road team claiming victory each time. Cal's 3-1 win at Maples Pavilion on Oct. 19, 2008 marked the first time the Bears defeated a home-court Stanford team in 29 years. The Cardinal got its revenge with a sweep in Berkeley on Nov. 14.

Heading into the weekend with identical records, the Bears are riding the momentum of a five-match winning streak which includes a five-set victory over No. 4-ranked Hawai'i in Honolulu. Since that triumph, Cal has dropped just two sets in its four home matches. The Cardinal has won five its last six matches with the only loss coming at the hands of Hawai'i in a 3-0 sweep on the islands.

Senior outside hitter Hana Cutura leads the team and the Pac-10 with 4.95 kps (188k, 57e, 435att); and ranks fourth among all division I collegiate players nationally. Cutura posted her third double-double of the season in a 3-1 win against Saint Mary's College as she recorded 25 kills and 14 digs. For the Cardinal, junior outside hitter Cassidy Lichtman paces her team with 3.39 kps while also contributing with 3.56 aps and 2.25 dps.

Don't miss your chance to see these two top-15 teams in action at Haas Pavilion. Please check CalBears.com for updates and scores throughout the season.