BERKELEY – In its first matches on its home courts this season, California roared out to a strong start on the first day of the Golden Bears' annual Cal Nike Fall Invitational on Friday. Three of the four Bears playing in the singles top flight advanced to Saturday's quarterfinals, while all three of Cal's doubles teams won to move on to Saturday's quarters at the Hellman Tennis Complex and Channing Tennis Courts.
 
"We had a very successful first day," Cal head coach Amanda Augustus said. "It was great to get back out on the courts on Hellman and Channing. We had fantastic weather for our tournament. Everyone competed really hard, and I was very pleased with singles and doubles today."
 
In the Blue Singles flight, Cal senior and top seed Denise Starr advanced out of the opening round of 32 when Sacramento State's Deimante Bulatovaite withdrew with an injury. Starr, ranked 62nd in the Oracle/ITA preseason poll, then knocked off Nevada's Claudia Herrero, 6-1, 6-1, to reach Saturday's quarters, in which she'll face Fresno State's Katerina Stloukalova at 12:15 p.m.
 
The second-seeded Olivia Hauger, ranked 86th, also moved out of the round of 32 when another Hornet – Alina Soltanici – withdrew with an injury. The Cal sophomore then beat BYU's Savannah Ware, 6-3, 6-2, to earn a quarterfinal berth on Saturday.
 
Cal junior Karla Popovic, ranked 90th, joined her teammates in the Blue quarters with a pair of straight-set wins Friday. The fourth-seeded Bear beat Nevada's Sheila Morales, 6-3, 6-1, and then defeated Arizona State's Gussie O'Sullivan, 6-1, 7-5, in the round of 16. Popovic will play the fifth-seeded Jana McCord of Saint Mary's at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday.
 
Maria Smith almost gave Cal four Bears in the Blue quarters. She beat Arizona State's Savannah Slaysman, 6-4, 6-3, in the round of 32, but then the sophomore lost to UCLA's sixth-seeded Terri Fleming, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, in Cal's first loss of the day.
 
In Blue Doubles – the top doubles flight – the top-seeded duo of Starr and Smith opened with an 8-3 victory over Clementine Clement and Emma Critser of Saint Mary's to advance to Saturday's quarterfinals vs. UC Santa Barbara's Melissa Baker and Stephanie Yamada at 9 a.m. The third-seeded pair of Popovic and Hauger likewise advanced, beating Fresno State's Stloukalova and Georgia Lawson, 8-4, to earn a spot against McCord and Jacqueline Pelletier of Saint Mary's at 9 a.m. on Saturday.
 
Freshman Alexis Nelson – playing in her first collegiate matches in Berkeley – teamed up with senior Stephane Lin in the Gold Doubles flight. The two Bears held off Pacific's Cristina Saenz de Buruaga Ruiz and Sabrina Rodriguez, 8-5, to also advance to a Saturday morning quarterfinal.
 
The first set of Saturday matches will start at 9 a.m.