Oct. 11, 2011
Cal Notes for UW/WSU Matches 
Friday, Oct. 14
7 p.m. - No. 4 Cal (17-2, 7-2 Pac-12) vs. No. 2 Washington (15-1, 7-1 Pac-12)
Haas Pavilion - Berkeley
Series Record vs. the Huskies: 27-29
Last Meeting: W, 3-0 (12/12/10)
Coverage: GameTracker, Twitter, Video, FSN
Promotions:
•Cal Kids Night: All youth grades 12 and below receive discounted admission for $3 to the match and are invited to pre-match poster making and face painting in the Club Room from 6-7 p.m.
•Cal Student Night: All Cal Students receive free admission on the night of the match with their Cal 1 Card and can register to win an iPod Nano
•Post-Match Autographs
Saturday, Oct. 15
7 p.m. - No. 4 Cal (17-2, 7-2 Pac-12) vs. Washington State (11-7, 3-5 Pac-12)
Haas Pavilion - Berkeley
Series Record vs. the Cougars: 34-22
Last Meeting: W, 3-0 (11/13/10)
Coverage: GameTracker, Twitter, Video
Promotions:
•Chalk Talk with Coach Feller: Pre-match preview in the Club Room from 6:20-6:35 p.m.
•Post-Match Autographs
BERKELEY - After getting a pair of key wins in hostile territory last weekend at then-No. 15 Oregon and Oregon State, the No. 4 California volleyball team returns home in search of two more victories. On Friday, Oct. 15, the Golden Bears (17-2, 7-2 in the Pac-12) face off against No. 2 Washington (15-1, 7-1 Pac-12) in a match that is heralded as the key match-up of the week and will be tape-delayed televised by FSN. Washington State (11-7, 3-5 Pac-12) faces off against the Bears on Oct. 15, also at 7 p.m.
The weekend versus the Washington schools closes out the first round of Pac-12 play. California sits in a tie for third place with UCLA, with both programs boasting 7-2 conference records. The Huskies own second place with a 7-1 record, behind Pac-12 leader USC, which is 8-1. The last time the Bears and Huskies met, Cal swept UW, 3-0, to advance to the 2010 final four.
Briefly With the Bears
•By beating then-No. 15 Oregon, Cal earned its second win over a ranked opponent this year
•Kat Brown was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week and Tarah Murrey earned Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week laurels
•The award is Murrey's second, Brown's first and Cal's 31st and 32nd all-time
•Brown is the second Golden Bear to ever be named the conference's defensive player of the week with the award in its inaugural season
•The Bears are 4-0 in the most recent meetings with the Huskies, who hold the all-time advantage at 29-27
•Cal has not lost to WSU since 2002, owning a 16-0 record against the Cougars in the last eight seasons
•Cal's 18 blocks against No. 15 Oregon were a season high as were the 88 digs at Oregon State
Brown Earns Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week Award
Brown exploded this weekend with a team-best 2.14 blocks per set to lead her No. 4 Bears to two victories in the Beaver State, garnering Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. Additionally, Brown played errorless ball, hitting .562 and averaging 2.57 kills per set. Her 27.5 points across the two matches were second on the squad and Brown averaged 3.93 per set. In addition to hitting .500 with four kills, Brown set a season best in blocks with 7.0 versus the Ducks in front of 6,210 screaming fans. In the very next match, Brown bested herself with 8.0 blocks against Oregon State. Also against the Beavers, Brown hit a team-best .562 with 18 kills and registered five kills. Thanks to her 8.0 blocks and 18 kills, Brown was second on the squad with 19.0 points. The 19.0 points are a season best, blasting her previous high of 11.5, and 0.5 points shy of tying her career record.
Murrey Garners Weekly Pac-12 Offensive Player Honor
Murrey led her Bears to the wins with an impressive 5.29 kills per set, 5.00 digs per set and 1.14 blocks per set en route to 6.07 points per set, earning the right to call herself the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week. On the Ducks' home court, Murrey laced 19 kills and had 15 digs for her eighth double-double of the year. With five blocks to go along with her 19 kills and .340 hitting percentage, Murrey amassed 22.0 points in the sweep. Murrey tallied 20.5 points versus the Beavers en route to the 3-1 victory. With 18 kills and 20 digs, Murrey racked up her second double-double in as many days and ninth of the season.
Last Week's Court Report
Cal earned two victories in the Beaver State with a 3-0 sweep of Oregon and a 3-1 victory over Oregon State last weekend. In their fourth meeting of the season against a ranked opponent in the Oct. 7 match in Eugene, the Bears dismantled the then-No. 7 Ducks in front of 6,210 fans. Tarah Murrey racked up 19 kills, helping the Bears to out hit the Ducks, .269-.042. Murrey notched another double-double with 18 kills and 20 digs against Oregon State on Oct. 9. Kat Brown hit a match-high .583 with 14 kills.
Loerch on Dig Patrol
Sophomore Lauren Loerch has stepped up her game, earning herself starting rights in the past three matches. In the 3-1 victory over Arizona State on Oct. 1, Loerch set a new career high with seven digs. In the very next outing - the Oct. 7 match at No. 15 Oregon - Loerch doubled that with 14 digs. Against Oregon State on Oct. 9, Loerch contributed two service aces and eight digs to help her Bears to the 3-1 victory.
Scouting Washington State
•The Cougars have an 11-7 record this year, but are 3-5 in Pac-12 play
•Senior outside hitter Meagan Ganzer leads the Pac-12 with 4.97 kills per set and ranks seventh in the conference in service aces per set (0.29)
•Sophomore setter Camryn Irwin averages 9.80 assists per set and 1.96 digs per set
•Sophomore Marcelina Glab leads the team with 49 total blocks
•The Cougars rank last in the Pac-12 in kills per set (11.87) and digs per set (12.72)
•Washington State started the season 8-2
•The Cougars swept their last match against Colorado (Oct. 8) and have not lost more than two matches in a row this year
•Cal is 34-22 all-time against Washington State and has won the past 16 straight matches
Last Year vs. Washington State
The Bears swept the 2010 series with the Cougars for the eighth straight year. In the first meeting - which took place in Berkeley on Oct. 15, 2010 - Cal won, 3-1. Kat Brown notched a then-career high 17 points off 11 kills and eight blocks. After the Cougars looked to net set point, Tarah Murrey caught fire with three kills help the Bears take the set. WSU won the second set, but the Bears recovered to take the next two. At Bohler Gym on Nov. 13, the Bears had an easier time of things with Hawari's 12 kills and five blocks leading the Bears to a sweep. Cal hit an astounding .483 for the match, its highest hitting percentage during conference play last season, and had a balanced attack with four different players notching at least eight kills.
Scouting Washington
•No. 2 Washington is 15-1 this season with its only loss coming against USC on Sept. 16
•Only one of the Huskies' matches has gone more than three sets this year, the lone exception being a 3-1 win at Long Beach State (Aug. 27)
•Freshman outside hitter Krista Vansant leads the Huskies with 3.57 kills per set, placing her 10th in the Pac-12
•Senior middle blockers Bianca Rowland (1.52) and Lauren Barfield (1.44) have been a wall, ranking second and third in the Pac-12 in blocks per set, respectively
•Sophomore libero Jenna Orlandini is seventh in the Pac-12 with 4.16 digs per set
•The Huskies are first in the Pac-12 in opponent hitting percentage (.111) and service aces per set (1.90), while also ranking second in hitting percentage (.281) and blocks per set (3.30)
•Cal is 27-29 all-time against Washington and has won the past four meetings
Last Year vs. Washington
In the first of three jousts with the Huskies, the Bears swept UW on Oct. 16 to improve to 17-1 and remain undefeated at home. The first set was a back and forth affair for the first 14 points with neither team leading by more than one point, before the Bears jumped ahead for good to win, 25-22. The Huskies jumped out to an early lead in the second set, but the Bears battled back to push Cal ahead two sets to none. The Bears never trailed in the third set and Adrienne Gehan and Kat Brown combined for a block that clinched the sweep, 25-18. In the rematch at Hec Edmundson Pavilion on Nov. 12, Cal earned a 3-1 win to finish the regular season sweep of the Huskies - the first time it had been done since the 2003 victory. The Bears and Huskies met for a third time and the first in postseason play in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament with the Bears once again prevailing, 3-0. With a 2-0 lead in hand, Cal's defense stepped up in the third set and held the Huskies to .000 hitting en route to a 25-14 win that knocked Washington out of the postseason. Murrey recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 15 kills and 12 digs, while Gehan chipped in 11 kills and Rostratter added 16 digs.
Cal Hit Parade
As they've done all year, the Bears continue to out hit their opponents. As of Oct. 10, Cal owns a collective .291 attack percentage, as compared with its competition's .121. All but one Bear who have taken more than 50 swings are hitting above .230 with five blasting the .300 mark. Currently, Kat Brown leads Cal, attacking .440. In Pac-12 play, the Bears are out hitting conference foes, .269-.155.
Next Week on the Court
The Bears begin their second round of Pac-12 play with a trip to the high desert. First up, Cal takes on Arizona State in Tempe with a 7 p.m. tilt on Oct. 21. The trip concludes with an Oct. 22 match at Arizona in Tucson. In the first outings against the Arizona schools, the Bears earned a 3-0 victory over the Wildcats and a 3-1 win versus the Sun Devils.
Cal vs. the Pac-12 (Overall)
Hitting: First - .291
Opponent Hitting: Second - .121
Assists per set: Third - 13.10
Blocks per set: Fourth - 2.89
Kills per set: Third - 14.25
Service Aces per set: Tied for Seventh - 1.03
Digs per set: Second - 16.87
Cal vs. the Pac-12 (Conference Only)
Hitting: Second - .269
Opponent Hitting: Second - .155
Assists per set: Fourth - 13.23
Blocks per set: Third - 2.74
Kills per set: Third - 14.35
Digs per set: First - 18.68
Bears in the Pac-12 (Overall)
Hitting: Kat Brown - First (.440), Shannon Hawari - Fourth (.371), Correy Johnson - Seventh (.349), Adrienne Gehan - Ninth (.328)
Assists per set: Elly Barrett - Third (11.61)
Blocks per set: Kat Brown - Fifth (1.32), Shannon Hawari - Eighth (1.17)
Kills per set: Tarah Murrey - Sixth (4.24)
Digs per set: Robin Rostratter - Second (5.20)
Bears in the Pac-12 (Conference Only)
Hitting: Kat Brown- First (.438), Shannon Hawari - Ninth (.350)
Assists per set: Elly Barrett - Third (11.74)
Blocks per set: Kat Brown - Fourth (1.39)
Kills per set: Tarah Murrey - Fourth (4.61)
Digs per set: Robin Rostratter - First (6.06)
Digging in With Rich Feller
Each Monday, Facebook fans of Cal Volleyball are invited to watch a video segment entitled "Digging in With Rich Feller." In the video, Cal head coach Rich Feller gives fans insight into the last week of play and upcoming games. Everyone is invited to ask questions of Coach Feller on Facebook and Twitter that he will answer in the video.
Bears Sponsor Block Party for Opponents
So far this year, Cal has been out blocking its competition by leaps and bounds. Overall, the current ratio is 176.0-118.0 overall. This is due in no small part to the fact that two Bears are averaging more than one block a set and eight are registering 0.50 or more blocks per set. Paving the way is Kat Brown, who tallies 1.32 per set. Also there in the top rankings are Shannon Hawari (1.17 blocks/set) and Lillian Schonewise (0.89 blocks/set).
Bears Merit First-Ever No. 1 National Ranking
After sweeping its competition in the first week of play in six straight sets, Cal moved from third in the nation to first, according to the AVCA poll released Aug. 29. This marked the first time the Golden Bears have ever been the preeminent team in the country. Cal received 31 first-place votes, almost more than triple the amount Penn State garnered (11). USC moved down a notch as well, from second to third with five first-place votes. Texas earned nine first-place votes but stayed steady in fourth place. Last year, Cal earned its then-highest ranking of third on Oct. 25, only to best that later in the season as the No. 2 team in the country. Prior to the 2010 season, Cal's previous highest ranking was No. 4 on several occasions.
Season Starts With Brooms Out
In their very first outing of the 2011 campaign, the Bears swept their first three opponents in six straight sets. Opening up against UC Riverside on Aug. 26, Cal did not let the Highlanders score above 17 in any set en route to the official season beginner. In that match, Adrienne Gehan tallied a match-high 10 kills while Elly Barrett had 28 assists and Tarah Murray made 12 digs. A two-match day on Aug. 27 started with a 3-0 win over Fairfield. This time, Murrey led the Bears with 11 kills and Robin Rostratter made 18 digs. To close out the classic, the Bears faced off against FIU in what was their closest competition for the final from set one was a 25-23 victory, the smallest point differential of the weekend. The Bears are now 11-2 in season openers under head coach Rich Feller.
Jefferson Cup Champions Land on All-Tourney Team
At Virginia's tournament held over Labor Day weekend, three Bears merited placement on the all-tournament team with Adrienne Gehan leading the way as the MVP. In three matches of play, Gehan had a team-high 39 kills and hit .385. Also joining her on the all-tournament team were Tarah Murrey, who had 23 kills and 27 digs, and Correy Johnson, who hit .429 with 23 kills across the weekend. In the 3-0 win over Long Island on Sept. 2, Murrey paced the Bears with 10 kills (5e, 19att, .263) and 11 digs before posting seven digs and eight kills in set one alone versus UVa. Johnson averaged 2.88 kills per set in Charlottesville along with five blocks and four digs.
Cal's Classic Tournament Team
After going 3-0 at the Cal Molten Classic on Aug. 26 and 27, five Golden Bears were named to the all-tourney team. Correy Johnson was the MVP with Elly Barrett, Adrienne Gehan, Shannon Hawari and Tarah Murreyall skyrocketing to honors. Johnson led the Bears (with more than one attempt) with her .500 attacking percentage - hitting .500 or above in all three matches including a weekend-best .583 against Fairfield. Barrett averaged 10.33 sets per set with a grand total of 93 to go along with her 13 digs and nine blocks. Gehan and Murrey both put forth 25-kill performances while Hawari notched a team-high 13 blocks.
New Kids on the Block
Over the course of the season-starting weekend, the Bears had 12 different student-athletes seeing time on the court, including four freshmen. Marlee Davis, Christina Higgins, Lindsey Parrott and Lillian Schonewise all played in their first matches of their Cal careers during the Cal Molten Classic. Over the weekend, Higgins played in five matches, making seven kills (4e, 26ta, .115) with four block assists. In two sets of work, Schonewise contributed two kills in four attempts as well as one block assist. Marlee Davissaw time in six sets, setting two balls and making 11 digs. Lindsey Parrot played in one set, setting the ball twice.
Texas Two Step
For the ninth consecutive season, the Cal roster will feature at least two players from the great state of Texas. This time, the Bears have four players from the Lone Star State. Redshirt junior middle hitter Shannon Hawari (Plano) and junior setter Elly Barrett (Austin), along with sophomore outside hitters Adrienne Gehan (Dallas) and Lauren Loerch(Georgetown), represent the second-biggest state in the Union.
Season Tickets Still Available
Season and individual match tickets are still available for purchase. Purchasing season tickets offers fans a 50-percent discount per ticket over single-match tickets, and gives purchasers behind the scenes access with the team and coaches. Season-ticket holders receive invitations to exclusive season-ticket holder events, and opportunities to win team gear, ticket vouchers to bring friends to matches and more! For more information about season and individual match tickets, please click here.
Breaking Down the 2011 Bears
•Nine letterwinners return, six starters are back
•Six talented freshmen join the squad
•First-team All-American Tarah Murreyis the lone senior
•Also returning are junior libero Robin Rostratter (winner of the NCAA Elite 88 Volleyball Award for top GPA), sophomore outside hitter Adrienne Gehan (Pac-10 All-Freshman Team), junior middle hitter Shannon Hawari (American Volleyball Coaches' Association All-Region and All-Pac-10 honorable mention), junior middle/outside hitter Correy Johnson (AVCA All-America honorable mention, All-Pac-10 team) and junior middle hitter Kat Brown(Pac-10 All-Conference and All-Academic honorable mention)
•Pac-12 coaches predicted a second-place finish for the Bears
•Ranked third in the country by AVCA, the highest start ever
Murrey Eligible for Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
Senior outside hitter Tarah Murrey'saccomplishments on and off the volleyball court merited her selection as one of the 30 candidates for the 2011 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be a Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition. In each of the two seasons that she's been eligible, Murrey has earned a Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention for having a GPA above 3.0 and being a starter. Additionally, Murrey has shown a real interest in giving back to the community, participating in multiple events put on by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. A starter from her days as a freshman, Murrey has been a key cog in the California volleyball machine with accomplishments too lengthy to list in just one paragraph.
Summer Lovin' Had Me a Blast
The summer break was not too slow for several of the Golden Bears. Senior outside hitter Tarah Murrey led the USA A2 Blue squad as it defeated USA A2 Red, 26-24, in the double final title match of the 2011 USA Volleyball Open National Championships Women's Open Division to complete a comeback through the consolation round on May 31 at the Dallas Convention Center. Murrey took home the tournament's Most Valuable Player as a member of the six-player all-tournament team. Her squad defeated junior middle hitter Correy Johnson'sA2 Red team in the title match.
Conference Coaches Forecast Second Place for Cal
The Pac-12 Conference coaches selected the Golden Bears to take second in the inaugural season of the Pac-12 in the preseason poll. That marked the second time that the Bears were slated to finish second, which first occurred in 2009, when they received one first-place vote. This year, the Bears got one first-place vote and 105 total points. USC took top honors with 11 first-place votes and 121 total points while Washington rounded out the medal stand in third with 97 points.
Preseason AVCA Poll Places Cal Third in the Country
After garnering their best end of season ranking in December, the Golden Bears followed that up with the highest preseason ranking in program history with the AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll heralding California as the third-best team in all of collegiate volleyball. Cal's previous highest preseason ranking was fifth, which the Bears achieved in 2008. For the fourth consecutive time, the coaches tabbed Penn State as the premier team in the country with USC taking second. Including USC and Cal, which received one-first place vote, five Pac-12 teams were on the preseason favorite list. Cal's ranking marked the 11th time in school history that the Bears were ranked to open a season and the ninth consecutive time since Rich Fellerbecame head coach in 1999. Cal has now achieved a top-10 preseason ranking four times.
Bears Merit AVCA Team Academic Award
As if excelling on the court was not good enough, the California volleyball team shines in the classroom as well. The Golden Bears earned the (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2010-11 season. Cal was one of 481 teams, spread across nine different divisions, to receive the accolade, which once again breaks the previous years' total of 450 and sets a new all-time high for this award. The award, which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year. Teams must maintain at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale.
Bear Radio
Fans can tune in to KNEW 910 on their AM radio dials each Monday at 6 p.m. PT, for the second year of the Cal Coaches Corner radio show hosted by Todd McKim. The one-hour show will feature guest coaches and athletes from all of Cal's 29 intercollegiate athletics teams. Head coach Rich Fellerhad the honor of being on the first broadcast of the 2010-11 school year on Aug. 29, 2010.
Remembering the 2010 Season
•National runner-up and co-Pac-10 champs
•Made it to the national championship match for the first time in program history
•Rich Feller named AVCA and Pac-10 Coach of the Year
•Carli Lloyd was the AVCA National Player of the Year
•Carli Lloyd and Tarah Murreynamed AVCA first-team All-Americans - the first single-season pair of first-team AVCA All-Americans in Cal history
•Correy Johnson was an AVCA All-American honorable mention
•Senior setter Carli Lloyd, junior outside hitter Tarah Murrey, and sophomore opposite hitter Correy Johnsonbecame the first trio of Bears to earn all-conference honors in the same season
2010 Record-Breaking Bears
•Carli Lloyd ended the season in second on the school's all-time assists ladder with 5,697, a mark that is also good for sixth all-time in the Pac-10
•Tarah Murrey climbed into eighth at Cal for all-time career kills with 1,239, and 10th for attacks with 3,085
•Murrey produced the third highest single-season record for kills with 617 and had the second-highest output in a single season for attacks with 1,454
•Robin Rostratter had the third highest single-season record for digs with 495; the highest since Jillian Davishad 538 in 2005
•Kat Brown put on the highest individual blocking effort since 2007 with 151, which is the fourth most in a single season at Cal
•Shannon Hawari put up 131 blocks, which is sixth most in a single season
Join the Bears in the Social Media Realm
This season, fans of the prestigious California volleyball team can get even closer to the Golden Bears - through Facebook and Twitter. Social media brings the fans closer to the teams, alerting followers to breaking news, photos and insider information. The Cal Volleyball Facebook page will feature links to CalBears.com stories, polls, unique photos and more. Fans can comment on stories and have conversations with other fans. Cal Volleyball Twitter is the best place to find match results, links to stories as well as photos and other inside information. You can ask questions of the Cal Volleyball Twitter and communicate with others as well.
•Facebook users can "like" Cal volleyball here
•Twitter users can "follow" Cal volleyball here
The Paparazzi
Like any of the pictures on CalBears.com? They are available for purchase! GoldenBearSports.com, the official photographer of the Cal Athletics Department, has match photos available for purchase on their website at GoldenBearSports.com.
