Sept. 13, 2011
BERKELEY, Calif. - In the Pac-12 opener for both teams, No. 1 California defeated the No. 2 Stanford women's volleyball team, 23-25, 25-16, 25-16, 25-21, Tuesday, in front of more than 3,800 fans at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif. The Cardinal suffers its first setback of the year, dropping to 6-1 overall and 0-1 in the Pac-12. The Golden Bears remain undefeated with an 11-0 record and a 1-0 mark in the conference.
Sophomore outside hitter Rachel Williams led the team with 15 kills and 10 digs for her fourth double-double of the year. Sophomore middle blocker Carly Wopat added 11 kills and six blocks, while junior Jessica Walker finished with five kills and five blocks. Junior setter Karissa Cook tallied 38 assists and 17 digs. Stanford was held to a .103 attack percentage, while Cal posted a .264 clip.
Stanford won the first set, 25-23, after 13 tie scores and two lead changes. It marked the first time Cal has lost a set this season. The Cardinal out hit the Bears .209 to .195. Wopat led all players with seven kills on nine attempts with just one error for a .667 attack percentage. Junior Hayley Spelman and redshirt freshman Lydia Bai combined for six kills, while Cook racked up 13 assists. Cal's Tarah Murrey and Shannon Hawari registered four kills apiece to lead the Bears.
Errors cost the Cardinal in the second as Cal tied the match with a 25-16 win. Stanford committed 11 errors and was held to a .103 attack percentage, while the Bears' offense was rolling. Cal hit .387 and had just one attack error in the second. Williams led the Cardinal in the set with six kills, while Bai posted three. Defensively, Cook and freshman Kyle Gilbert combined for nine kills. Murrey paced the Bears with five kills and three digs.
Stanford jumped out to a 10-5 lead in the third, but a 6-1 run by Cal tied the set and forced head coach John Dunning to call timeout. After three straight Cal points, Dunning burned his second timeout. Stanford pulled within four, but the Bears' offense was too much as they went on to a 25-16 win. Stanford hit negative in the set with just nine kills and 10 attack errors. Sophomore Adrienne Gehan led the Bears with five kills.
Once again, Stanford held a lead and watched it dwindle, as Cal came from behind to win the fourth set, 25-21. Up 19-17, Cal used a 7-2 run to seal the victory. Cal hit .216 in the set, while holding the Cardinal to .116. Williams led the team with four kills, while Walker picked up three kills and three blocks in the set. Murrey, Gehan and Hawari all put down three kills to lead the Bears.
Up next, the Cardinal hosts Pac-12 newcomers Utah and Colorado on Sept. 16-17 at Maples Pavilion. Both matches are slated for 7 p.m. PT.