Swift sweep: Cal claims more wins over Saint Mary’s, UC Davis
No one likes a gold rush, especially not Saint Mary’s or UC Davis — and especially not after the defeat they experienced.
The Bears took a trip to Moraga to claim a victory against a fiery red Saint Mary’s. With a clean final score of 3-0, the Bears undoubtedly dominated the game.
Leah Schmidt kicked things off, earning a swift kill early on. A game of tug of war followed, with both teams showing everlasting persistence. A 3-0 run by Cal showed promise, but a persistent Saint Mary’s tied the set at 24-24. The Gaels were then able to get ahead, leading the set at 25-24.
Regardless, they got smarter, they got harder, in the nick of time. Schmidt killed it once, then killed it twice, to push through for Cal earning the first set ending at 29-27.
Saint Mary’s started things off strong in the second set, leading with an impressive 5-0 run. Schmidt rained all over a red parade executing a kill followed by a service ace. Sparks flew as the Bears hugged on to this momentum and ran, posting a 4-0 run. A 6-0 run from Cal followed shortly, taking it to 14-8 plus an exchange of quick runs. Finally, Schmidt killed a winning point, ending the set at 25-21.
Cal led the third set early on with a 5-point lead. Eventually, the match was tied at 8-all, but Schmidt took a blow at a towering red opponent to inspire a 3-0 gold run. Teamwork makes the dream work: A joint block from Lydia Grote and Mikayla Hayden ended the set at 25-18.
Perhaps the Gaels believed winning would be red, but it’s golden.
The following Saturday, the Bears hosted the UC Davis Aggies for what would soon prove to be an intense match to close out nonconference play.
Grote started the first set with a kill, inciting a 5-0 run from Cal. A brave team of Aggies persisted against the cruel attack, responding with a similar 5-0 run coming within 1 point of the Bears. Taking advantage of various UC Davis errors, Cal posted another 5-0 run. Annalea Meader reached for the stars and slammed down a winning kill, earning the Bears the first set at 25-20.
The second set told a similar story. Crafty kills from Schmidt and Hayden put the Bears at a 8-2 advantage. Several blows from both teams followed. Sophie Scott claimed a second set victory for the Bears, thanks to her 4-0 scoring run, ending the set at 25-17. This final point was especially important, as it marked Meader’s 1000th career assist.
The Aggies’ luck came around for the third set. Despite a strong performance from Cal toward the beginning, Davis impressively brought the set from 14-7 in Cal’s favor to 18-18. The match ended in an Aggie victory at 25-23.
This momentum seemed to have infected the UC Davis team as it swiftly took the fourth set 25-20, tying up the match at two sets each.
Regardless of back-to-back failed attempts, the Bears did not give up. They led the fifth set early on at 6-0, including three daunting service aces from Schmidt. The Aggies were officially shut down by Grote and Schmidt’s unstoppable frenzy of kills ending the fifth and final set 15-12, earning the match at 3-2.
Despite these victorious two matches, a Cardinal threat nears. Cal prepares to host its rival, No. 9 Stanford, at Haas Pavilion on Wednesday, Sept. 21. Will the Bears cower in the clutch of the Cardinals, or will a blue and gold wave take down Stanford?
Jose Rivera covers volleyball. Contact him at jrivera@dailycal.org.