Cal volleyball begins season in San Diego
With a 1-21 and 7-24 record in the past two seasons, Cal hopes to bring fire in its upcoming season, due to start this weekend. The team hopes to be aided by incoming freshmen, ready to bring strong energy and give their all at the San Diego State tournament.
The team is optimistic about the young Bears. The freshman group — Natalie Lau, Sophie Scott, Mikayla Hayden and Peyton Dejardin — is tight-knit. The atmosphere on the team is looking strong ahead of the season, and the four youngsters are hoping to start off strong.
Kicking things off, the Bears will be facing Army. A tough opponent indeed, Army has built quite the reputation within the last few years. The team is coming into the tournament with a 17-9 record during the 2021 season and a 22-10 record in the 2019 season. The Bears will have to fight hard and work in a tight unit in order to bring home the win.
Fans can expect Savannah Bray to cause great trouble for the Bears. The player, a junior on the opposing team, racked up 245 kills and 249 digs in the past season alone.
Later that same day, Cal will face none other than the host team itself, San Diego State University. And although things are looking much better for the Bears — the Aztec Warriors didn’t see much success last season — San Diego State is not a team that should be doubted. With an 8-22 record in 2021 from the Aztec Warriors, fans can expect an up-to-par battle, with both sides in it to win.
Heipua Tautua’a racked up 208 kills and an astonishing 239 digs in the 2021 season. The SDSU outside hitter is certainly a player that should be watched carefully by Cal.
Finishing off the tournament Saturday, Cal will face the Tritons. In what should be an entertaining match, fans can expect a strong fight from UC San Diego as it comes out of a 10-21 record in the 2021 season.
One player to watch out for from this team is Triton Ava McInnes. With 359 kills in the 2021 season, the sophomore should not be doubted.
Cal Junior Leah Schmidt, outside hitter for the Bears, had 200 kills and was not close to the top-5 most digs in the last season. Cal will have to fight harder to earn its place among these top teams — its statistics do not come close to those of its opponents — but the team remains confident.
Whether the freshmen, and the team as a whole, rise to the occasion or not, the Bears won’t go down without a strong fight. Fans should expect an entertaining three games as the team launches into a new season with high hopes.
The following week, Cal will face off against Utah Valley and Northern Arizona. These are two well-established teams, so the matchup should be strong and could stir up more trouble for the Bears. Cal can expect to use the first tournament of the season as an opportunity to feel out what needs to be worked on and what is working well.
Playing the first few tournaments of the season away might also create some challenges for Cal. Starting off strong at home could have helped the team get an early edge on its future opponents. The blue and gold home fans will be seeing Cal women’s volleyball on its home turf for the first time at the Cal tournament, beginning Sept. 9.
Will Cal be able to rid itself of the reputation it’s achieved, or will the team continue on a losing streak into the new season? This tournament will be a first insight into Cal women’s volleyball this season, and how the team is looking with new additions.
Jose Rivera covers volleyball. Contact him at jrivera@dailycal.org.