California Golden Bears Athletics
Carli Lloyd is one of eight new members of the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame who will be officially enshrined later this month.
Photo by: DON FERIA
Hall Call
10/12/2023 12:03 PM | Volleyball, Hall of Fame, Inside The Lair
Carli Lloyd Enriches Legacy With Enshrinement Into Cal Athletics Hall Of Fame
BERKELEY – Of all the stages of Carli Lloyd's volleyball career, "Collegiate Carli" is as memorable as the rest.
Lloyd, the only National Player of the Year in California volleyball history who led the Golden Bears to a pair of NCAA Final Fours, will be enshrined into the Cal Athletics Hall Of Fame at the end of the month. It will be her first time back on campus since the program honored her before a match in 2016 after she returned home following the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Lloyd followed up her decorated college career with a long professional career – and she's still playing. Lloyd also helped Team USA win the bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
"When I think back to 'Collegiate Carli,' the first thing that comes to mind is just intensity – whether we were in the weight room, on the court, in our apartment – everything involving the pursuit of excellence was just met with a fire and intensity that I had never seen before, and potentially I could say I haven't seen since," said Cal beach volleyball head coach Meagan Owusu, who was Lloyd's teammate and roommate as an indoor player for the Bears. "I feel really fortunate because my peer and my friend and my teammate was someone who was fully invested in our program being the best it can be."
Lloyd arrived at Cal in the fall of 2007 and immediately became the team's starting setter. Taking over a team that had secured five straight NCAA Tournament appearances, she guided the Bears to the next level – leading the team to its first Final Four in program history as a freshman.
"Carli walked into a gym and you wanted to have her on the court," Owusu said. "I would say maybe there was a two-day adjustment period, but your age isn't the end-all, be-all. She stepped into the gym and was leading from day one."
Lloyd led the Bears to the NCAA Elite Eight as a sophomore and junior – earning AVCA Second-team All-American accolades each season. Her college career reached a crescendo as a senior in 2010, guiding Cal to the NCAA championship match and earning AVCA National Player of the Year honors.
"I really felt like she could have been named national player of the year a year or two before that, but the fact that it came that year when we were going to the NCAA finals – she really led her team," former Cal head coach Rich Feller said. "It was so deserved. It was her team, and I think that made me feel even better about seeing her receive that honor at that time."
Lloyd began a long overseas professional career after departing Cal, playing in Italy, Brazil, Turkey and Azerbaijan. She recently signed a contract to play in Puerto Rico beginning in January.
Along the way, she also became a stalwart in the U.S. National Team program. In 2015, Lloyd led Team USA to the gold medal at the Pan American Games, where she was named the tournament MVP.
The climax of her national team career came in Rio. Team USA entered the Olympics ranked No. 1 in the world but injuries were partly to blame for a difficult five-set loss to Serbia in the semifinals. The Americans came back to defeat The Netherlands to capture the bronze medal.
"We thought we were going in for gold, so of course it was heartbreaking to not come out with that," Lloyd said. "But getting a medal at the Olympics is incredible. The more that time passes, the more I appreciate it. I think at first I was really judgmental with myself – that I should have done more or I should have been better. For a while, the competitor in me had a tough time accepting defeat."
Less than a month after returning to the U.S. after the Olympics, Lloyd brought her bronze medal to Berkeley and was honored before a match on "Carli Lloyd Night." It was an emotional return to Haas Pavilion.
"I just remember coming out on the court and they played a video, and I was very emotional and overwhelmed with gratitude with everything I had been able to experience," Lloyd said. "I remember speaking to the crowd, but I don't remember a word I said. That was a very special moment, and a very emotional one. I remember a lot of tears and just feeling overwhelmed."
Lloyd hasn't been back to Berkeley since that night, and a lot has changed since. She and her partner, Riley, have a 2-year old daughter, Storm.
"I'm so excited to bring Storm, and Riley hasn't seen campus," Lloyd said. "It's just really special to bring my family and show them. Berkeley is one of the most beautiful places I've been. Everyone I meet, I want to take them to Cal and show them campus. There's just something really special about Berkeley."
Lloyd is one of eight new inductees into the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame that will be enshrined on Oct. 27 at the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Gala at the on-campus Pauley Ballroom. She joins Jerome Randle (men's basketball), Devanei Hampton (women's basketball), Doug Brien (football), Mike Epstein (baseball), Jolene Henderson (softball), Jana Jurivoca (women's tennis) and Barry Weiner (men's gymnastics) as the Class of 2023. The new inductees will also be honored during Cal's football game against USC on Oct. 28.
To purchase tickets to the Hall of Fame Gala that will recognize the accomplishments and achievements of the 37th Cal Athletics Hall of Fame class, go to https://calbea.rs/2023-Cal-HOF-Tickets.
Lloyd, the only National Player of the Year in California volleyball history who led the Golden Bears to a pair of NCAA Final Fours, will be enshrined into the Cal Athletics Hall Of Fame at the end of the month. It will be her first time back on campus since the program honored her before a match in 2016 after she returned home following the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Lloyd followed up her decorated college career with a long professional career – and she's still playing. Lloyd also helped Team USA win the bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
"When I think back to 'Collegiate Carli,' the first thing that comes to mind is just intensity – whether we were in the weight room, on the court, in our apartment – everything involving the pursuit of excellence was just met with a fire and intensity that I had never seen before, and potentially I could say I haven't seen since," said Cal beach volleyball head coach Meagan Owusu, who was Lloyd's teammate and roommate as an indoor player for the Bears. "I feel really fortunate because my peer and my friend and my teammate was someone who was fully invested in our program being the best it can be."
Lloyd arrived at Cal in the fall of 2007 and immediately became the team's starting setter. Taking over a team that had secured five straight NCAA Tournament appearances, she guided the Bears to the next level – leading the team to its first Final Four in program history as a freshman.
"Carli walked into a gym and you wanted to have her on the court," Owusu said. "I would say maybe there was a two-day adjustment period, but your age isn't the end-all, be-all. She stepped into the gym and was leading from day one."
Lloyd led the Bears to the NCAA Elite Eight as a sophomore and junior – earning AVCA Second-team All-American accolades each season. Her college career reached a crescendo as a senior in 2010, guiding Cal to the NCAA championship match and earning AVCA National Player of the Year honors.
"I really felt like she could have been named national player of the year a year or two before that, but the fact that it came that year when we were going to the NCAA finals – she really led her team," former Cal head coach Rich Feller said. "It was so deserved. It was her team, and I think that made me feel even better about seeing her receive that honor at that time."
Lloyd began a long overseas professional career after departing Cal, playing in Italy, Brazil, Turkey and Azerbaijan. She recently signed a contract to play in Puerto Rico beginning in January.Along the way, she also became a stalwart in the U.S. National Team program. In 2015, Lloyd led Team USA to the gold medal at the Pan American Games, where she was named the tournament MVP.
The climax of her national team career came in Rio. Team USA entered the Olympics ranked No. 1 in the world but injuries were partly to blame for a difficult five-set loss to Serbia in the semifinals. The Americans came back to defeat The Netherlands to capture the bronze medal.
"We thought we were going in for gold, so of course it was heartbreaking to not come out with that," Lloyd said. "But getting a medal at the Olympics is incredible. The more that time passes, the more I appreciate it. I think at first I was really judgmental with myself – that I should have done more or I should have been better. For a while, the competitor in me had a tough time accepting defeat."
Less than a month after returning to the U.S. after the Olympics, Lloyd brought her bronze medal to Berkeley and was honored before a match on "Carli Lloyd Night." It was an emotional return to Haas Pavilion.
"I just remember coming out on the court and they played a video, and I was very emotional and overwhelmed with gratitude with everything I had been able to experience," Lloyd said. "I remember speaking to the crowd, but I don't remember a word I said. That was a very special moment, and a very emotional one. I remember a lot of tears and just feeling overwhelmed."
Lloyd hasn't been back to Berkeley since that night, and a lot has changed since. She and her partner, Riley, have a 2-year old daughter, Storm.
"I'm so excited to bring Storm, and Riley hasn't seen campus," Lloyd said. "It's just really special to bring my family and show them. Berkeley is one of the most beautiful places I've been. Everyone I meet, I want to take them to Cal and show them campus. There's just something really special about Berkeley."
Lloyd is one of eight new inductees into the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame that will be enshrined on Oct. 27 at the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Gala at the on-campus Pauley Ballroom. She joins Jerome Randle (men's basketball), Devanei Hampton (women's basketball), Doug Brien (football), Mike Epstein (baseball), Jolene Henderson (softball), Jana Jurivoca (women's tennis) and Barry Weiner (men's gymnastics) as the Class of 2023. The new inductees will also be honored during Cal's football game against USC on Oct. 28.
To purchase tickets to the Hall of Fame Gala that will recognize the accomplishments and achievements of the 37th Cal Athletics Hall of Fame class, go to https://calbea.rs/2023-Cal-HOF-Tickets.
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