California volleyball team: No. 8 Golden Bears Blast Beavers in 3-0 Sweep
At 14-0, the California volleyball team is one of two remaining undefeated teams in the country
BERKELEY – California volleyball junior outside hitter Tarah Murrey came through with 15 kills as the No. 8-ranked Golden Bears (14-0, 4-0 Pac-10) stayed undefeated with a 3-0 win (25-21, 25-18, 25-18) over Oregon State (8-10, 1-3 Pac-10) at Haas Pavilion on Saturday, Oct. 2. The victory secured the second-longest winning streak in school history and makes Cal just one of two remaining undefeated teams in the country.
Murrey was the foundation of the Bear attack as she posted the team’s highest hitting percentage of the night (.314) with 15 kills on 35 swings (4e). Sophomore opposite hitter Correy Johnson provided extra offensive fire power as she logged nine kills (1e, 18att, .444). Defensively, the Bears posted 9.5 team blocks and held the Oregon State attack to a .087 hitting percentage (33k, 24e, 104att) thanks in part to sophomore libero Robin Rostratter’s match-high 12 digs. Sophomore middle hitter Shannon Hawari added six kills (2e, 14att, .286) as the Bears totaled 41 kills on the night (19e, 104att) for a .212 attack rate.
Beaver senior outside hitter Jill Sawatzky led her team with 12 kills (8e, 35att, .114) and got some help from freshman middle blocker Mona Kressl, who had eight kills (3e, 17att, .294) and added a match-high seven blocks. As a team, Oregon State put up 12 blocks in the match.
The teams tussled to a sixth tie in the first set before a cross-court kill by freshman outside hitter Adrienne Gehan broke the Beaver dam. The Bears never trailed again even though the Beavers threatened and got within one point on several occasions. Another Gehan kill gave Cal a three-point lead at 19-16, but Oregon State rallied to get within a point at 21-20 on a service ace. Two straight kills by Murrey gave the Bears another three-point cushion at 23-20 before Hawari blasted a quick set to the floor for the final point of the set and a 25-21 win. The Bears had 15 kills (6e, 37att) to log a .243 hitting percentage while holding the Beavers to a .128 rate on 39 swings (12k, 7e).
The Bears never trailed in the second set, and earned a five-point lead as sophomore middle hitter Kat Brown earned a kill on a quick set from senior setter Carli Lloyd, who led all players with 35 assists. Cal created a six-point gash at 19-13 as Hawari earned a kill on a slide play. The Bears stayed their distance even as Oregon State came up with a couple of blocks at the net. But it was a Cal block, as Murrey and sophomore middle hitter Tia Gaffen went up to stuff Sawatzky, that gave the Bears set point at 24-18. A Beaver error did them in as Cal won, 25-18, in the second. The Bears attacked at a .148 rate and earned 11 kills (7e, 27att) in the set but managed to hold the OSU offense to a .032 rate on 31 swings (11k, 10e).
Oregon State dug itself into a hole as the third set opened up with the Bears grabbing a 10-3 advantage on a Rostratter service ace. Cal went up, 19-10, as Murrey crushed a cross-court shot on a high set from Lloyd. The Beavers made a couple of short spurts but were unable to hold off the Bears as Murrey’s 15th kill of the night sealed the 25-18 win and a 3-0 sweep for Cal. The Bears registered a .225 hitting percentage in the final stanza with 15 kills (6e) on 40 attacks. OSU had 10 kills (7e, 34att) for a .088 attack percentage.
The Bears hit the road looking to extend their 14-match winning streak as they take on a pair of perennial Pac-10 powers in Los Angeles next weekend. Cal faces UCLA (11-3, 1-2 Pac-10) in a 7 p.m. PT match at Pauley Pavilion on Friday, Oct. 8, and then takes on USC (13-1, 2-1 Pac-10) in a 7 p.m. PT match at the Galen Center on Saturday, Oct. 9. Please visit CalBears.com for more information.
