Cal Returns To Action With Midweek Doubleheader
BERKELEY – The California beach volleyball team returns from a two-week hiatus to play a midweek doubleheader vs. UC Davis and Hawaii. The Bears will take on the Aggies at 11 a.m. followed by a 1 p.m. matchup with the Rainbow Wahine at the UC Davis Beach Volleyball Courts.
Cal had 16 days between matches after Cal defeated Concordia (CA) and lost to No. 7 LMU on their last competition day. The Bears enter this weekend with a 3-2 record and a No. 11 ranking in the AVCA Poll.
AFTER TWO WEEKS OFF, CAL RETURNS TO ACTION WITH MIDWEEK DOUBLEHEADER
- Cal had two consecutive weeks off after a three-match trip to Southern California. The Bears will return to action with a midweek doubleheader vs. UC Davis and Hawaii.
- Cal had an 11-match winning streak snapped in their loss to UCLA, but the 11 game streak matched a program best, tied with the 11-match winning from Feb. 24-March 17, 2018.
- All-time, Cal is 0-3 against Hawaii and 4-0 vs. UC Davis.
- The Bears defeated UC Davis earlier this year, 5-0, at the Clark Kerr Sand Courts. The Bears swept all five matchups, as they won all but one set by seven points or more.
- All four matchups between Cal and UC Davis have happened in the last three years.
- For the third straight matchup between Cal and Hawaii, the Bears will be ranked 11th and UC Davis will be sixth. Both of the previous two matchups were 3-2 victories by Hawaii.
BEARS GET AS HIGH AS EIGHTH IN POLL
- After one week of action, the Bears moved up to eighth in the AVCA rankings, the highest ranking in program history.
- Cal opened the 2021 season where they ended 2020, ranked ninth in the AVCA Coaches Poll.
- This is the third straight year that Cal has been selected amongst the top 12 in the nation to start the year.
- Ninth is the top preseason ranking in school history.
- The Bears were ranked No. 12 prior to the 2019 season and 11th heading into the 2020 campaign.
RETURNING EXPERIENCE
- Cal returns six of the 10 players that were in the 2020 lineup for all 10 matches, including three of the four members of the Bears' top two pairs: Mima Mirkovic, Caroline Schafer and Jordan Polo.
- Mirkovic was named an honorable mention All-America in 2019, while Polo was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.
- The Bears are also led by four seniors who have a combined 303 matches of experience: Mirkovic (74), Schafer (76), Alexia Inman (78) and Maddie Micheletti (75).