After two consecutive losses to top-10 teams, the best transition the Cal volleyball team can ask for is an away game against Washington State on Friday. Since 2003, the Bears have not lost to the Cougars.
This season, the Cougars (10-10, 0-8 in the Pac-12) are on a eight-game losing streak.
However, the downside to this road trip is that the Bears also play No. 5 Washington (16-1, 7-1) on Sunday. Cal (9-9, 3-5) is just 1-4 against ranked teams this season.
But as of Wednesday’s practice, the squad was focused on Washington State when the Bears studied the Cougars on film.
“We haven’t yet (prepared for Washington),” senior middle hitter Correy Johnson said. “We have time to prepare for them in between.”
What the Bears saw was a very unorthodox Cougars offense that has two left-handed players start as outside hitters. While it’s normal for a team to have a southpaw on the right side, it’s very abnormal to have a left-handed player hit from the left side.
Senior outside hitter Rachel Todovorovich, the southpaw hitter on the left side, has racked 216 kills this season. The sophomore right-side hitter Jaicee Harris has team-leading 287 kills and averages 4.16 kills per set.
Despite the offense led by the two outside hitters, Washington State’s defense has been diagnosed as its Achilles heel.
Seven of the 14 players on the roster stand under six feet, a huge reason why the squad averages just 2.1 blocks per set. In addition, opponents average 18 kills per set against Washington State. Considering that it takes 25 points to win a set, the Cougars had to play from behind in most of their sets.
Opposing teams have aced the Cougars 38 times overall this season while Washington State has aced opponents just 23 times. And the Bears are hoping to capitalize the Cougars’ weakness with their powerful serves.
“If we serve them tough we should be good because they struggle with returning serves,” Cal assistant coach Ben Bodipo-Memba said.
More than on the past few weeks, Cal has focused in this week. The Bears need to enter the Cougars’ den with the mental focus exhibited in practices.
“We’ve been hard on each other and have been holding people accountable for mistakes,” Johnson said. “There’s been a change in really wanting (to compete).”
The Bears need to establish ball control by winning the serve-and-pass game. Cal setters Joan Caloiaro and Lindsey Parrott have to receive passes from their backside not too close or too far from the net to give the outside hitters space on landing hard hits.
With top outside hitter Adrienne Gehan still sidelined with an injury, the Bears must continue to improvise. Though Lara Vukasovic’s natural position is in the middle, the freshman has racked 2.62 digs per set since she’s taken Gehan’s spot over.
While having a .500 season is a big disappointment for the Bears, Cal has not given up just yet.
“We can’t sit and feel sorry for ourselves because no one else in the Pac-12 is going to,” Bodipo-Memba said.
Andrew Davis covers volleyball. [email protected]
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