It is almost time to pack Bohler Gym to cheer on Cougar volleyball (9-4) for their first home match since Sept. 2. But, the team plays two more matches in California to round off their road trip.

On Friday, they play in Berkeley, California against the California Golden Bears. Cal is 7-5 on the season with losses in conference play to Stanford and Oregon State.

In the history between the two schools, the Cougs are 11-30 but are currently on a four-match win streak, the longest in their history against the school.

In the most recent matchup, WSU won in a sweep 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-14) on Cal’s home court.

The Cougs are the heavy favorites in this matchup, coming off a win against USC and riding their four-match win streak against Cal. They are also undefeated against unranked opposition, boasting a 9-0 record against competition they should be beating.

The other upcoming match will be far more difficult for the Cougs, as they head into Stanford, California to take on the 6-4 and No. 5 ranked Cardinal.

Although undefeated against the unranked competition, the Cougs are winless against teams who are ranked. Being 0-4 against those teams they have played so far this season.

The Cardinal have always dominated the Cougs, having a 36-3 record all-time. As well as this, they have won nine straight matches and look to make it double digits.

WSU will have to play perfectly to even stand a chance against one of the top teams in the nation, especially since it is on their home court.

It will be a huge win if the Cougs can manage to win a set, if they are able to take two or even win, it would be a massive upset and one of the biggest wins in Jen Greeny’s tenure as head coach.

Players to look out for:

Pia Timmer – Timmer’s performance keeps getting stronger and stronger as the seasons move on. She had an offensive outburst against USC and is fully getting comfortable with her teammates.

Karly Basham – The defensive captain of the Cougs will be the key to the success of the team in their final two road wins. She can be the difference maker between being swept or being competitive against Stanford in their match.

Magda Jehlarova – Jehlarova was all over the court for the Cougs win against USC. She would tally 12 kills, four aces and seven blocks. Look for her to fill in any position needed with injuries plaguing the team.