Cal Begins Pac-12 Slate With Stanford On The Road

BEAR NECESSITIES

BEARS OFF TO BEST START IN SIX YEARS
The Cal volleyball team is off to a 9-2 start, its best beginning to a season since the Bears went 13-0 to commence the 2011 season. After dropping its season-opener to UC Irvine, Cal won nine matches in a row before falling to Pacific in five sets on Saturday. With two more wins, the Bears will already have their highest win total since 2013.

DEMPI DOMINATES
The performance of senior right side hitter Antzela Dempi is one of the stories of the Pac-12 so far this season. After playing sparingly during her first three seasons – including just three matches last season – Dempi is playing at an All-Pac-12 level so far in 2017. She enters play this week tied for the Pac-12 lead in aces (0.57/set) and seventh in hitting percentage (.355). Cal played in three preseason tournaments, and Dempi was named to the All-Tournament Team in each. That included an MVP nod at the Cal Classic at Haas Pavilion.

ALL IN FOR ALFTIN
Senior outside hitter Christine Alftin has been a rock for the Bears so far this season. One of Cal’s primary passers, Alftin also averages 2.36 kills and 2.48 digs per set while ranking second on the team in aces (0.29/set). Alftin was named the MVP of the Rice Invitational after averaging 3.00 kills and 2.64 digs per set while hitting .271. Alftin reached double-digits in kills in all three matches and helped close out a hard-fought victory over Louisiana with 10 kills and 15 digs. Alftin was also named to the Molten Classic All-Tournament Team in August.

MIRKOVIC NAMED PAC-12 FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Cal outside hitter Mima Mirkovic was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week on Sept. 11 for her performance at the Rice Invitational in Houston. Mirkovic was named to the All-Tournament Team after helping the Bears to wins over Incarnate Word, Rice and Louisiana. She demonstrated a terrific all-around game, averaging 3.36 kills and 2.91 digs per set while hitting for an impressive .333 percentage. Mirkovic posted double-digits in kills in all three matches.

LIKING LIBERO
Senior Jessica Gaffney has been Cal’s libero in all but one set so far this season and has responded with some of the better matches of her career. She’s already eclipsed her career-high in digs four times, including a new mark of 23 against Rice. Gaffney enters the week ranked sixth in the Pac-12 with 3.92 digs per set. Gaffney, who transferred to Cal from USF before her junior season, played in every set last year, almost exclusively as a back row player. When she took the court for Cal’s season-opener against UC Irvine on Aug. 25, Gaffney became the first player other than Maddy Kerr to wear the libero jersey for the Bears since 2012. Kerr started the first match of her career at libero as a freshman and played in every set of every match for four years.

BEARS HONOR FORMER HEAD COACH RICH FELLER
The Cal volleyball program honored former head coach Rich Feller last Friday night during its match against Saint Mary’s. A large prematch reception was held in his honor before the match and Feller was recognized in a special on-court ceremony before the first serve. Feller is Cal’s all-time winningest coach (329 victories) and was twice named Natoinal Coach of the Year during his 18 seasons with the Golden Bears.

ABOUT NO. 4 STANFORD
• Only two losses this season are against No. 2 Penn State
• OH Kathryn Plummer leads the Pac-12 and ranks sixth in the country at 4.93 kills per set
• Defending NCAA champions were preseason pick to win Pac-12
• LAST MEETING: Stan d. Cal 3-0 (11-25-16)

ABOUT NO. 16 UTAH
• Only losses are to Kentucky and BYU; each were ranked No. 14 nationally at the time
• SR Adora Anae leads team and ranks fourth in the Pac-12 with 4.25 kills per set
• Utes lead the Pac-12 with a .302 team hitting percentage
• LAST MEETING: Utah d. Cal 3-0 (11-4-16)