California Golden Bears Athletics
California
1-0,0-0ACC
Pacific
0-1,0-0WCC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific | 17 | 15 | 11 | 0 |
| California | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Cal Volleyball Honors Legendary Coach Rich Feller, Sweeps UOP
8/28/2026 9:50 PM | Volleyball
Cal wins big to open the year
BERKELEY, Calif.--- The California volleyball team kicked off the season with a bang on Friday evening against the University of Pacific in the first game of the Gael Bear Classic.
Before the Golden Bears took to the new Taraflex court gifted by Jeremy Wagner and Wara Chanse, the program honored former legendary coach Rich Feller. Following a career that spanned 18 years (1999-2017), and saw him rack up seven 20-win seasons, coach 14 All-America selections, make six round of 16 appearances and lead the Golden Bears to an NCAA Tournament Championship Game appearance, Feller saw his jersey enshrined in the rafters.
His banner, which commemorated his 329 career wins, joins one of his former players, Carli Lloyd, as the lone two volleyball figures to have jerseys retired at Haas.
As for the current Bears, they were able to open the year with a 3-0 sweep of the Tigers. Offensively, Cal got strong showings from a trio of players with Portia Sherman (12), Ashley Li (14) and Ashleigh Woodruff (15) all scoring double-digit points.
Sherman, who doubles as a two-time All-American beach volleyball player for Cal wasn't the only new face who made an impact. Freshman Anna Flores racked up a game-high 41 assists, and also provided three aces on the night. She was joined by fellow true freshman Abby Zimmerman in the starting lineup, with the daughter of Cal legend Lisa Arce Zimmerman showing off her power on multiple occasions.
Defensively, Sophia Johnson led the way with a game-high 14 digs.
Cal will be back in action on Saturday, as they will face off against a UC San Diego Tritons squad that finished the 2025 season with a 6-24 record.
For more coverage of the Cal volleyball team, please follow the Bears on X (@CalVolleyball), Instagram (@Calvolleyball) and Facebook (@Calvolleyball).
