Oct. 17, 2011

BERKELEY - Stepping in for an injured veteran, Christina Higgins continues to be a major factor on the California volleyball offense. Last weekend, she averaged 2.71 kills per set in wins over Washington and Washington State, earning her the honor of Pac-12 Freshman of the Week.

"This is another great honor for Christina and the whole Bear volleyball team," Cal head coach Rich Feller said. "We are all very proud of her and her progress this early in her career."

In the upset of the Huskies, Higgins laced 13 kills, in addition to one assist and a pair of digs.

She tallied six kills in the three-set win over WSU.

Higgins continues to swing with confidence and was second on the team with 57 attempts, behind only All-American Tarah Murrey.

This is Higgins' second conference honor after earning the same award for the week of Oct. 3. She was the first Golden Bear to ever be named the conference's freshman of the week in its inaugural season. This week's laudation is Cal's 33rd of all time and the fourth of the 2011 campaign.

Last weekend, the Bears earned a 3-1 upset win over then-No. 2 Washington on Oct. 14 and then swept Washington State on Oct. 15.

This week, Cal heads to the desert for match-ups with Arizona State and Arizona.