BERKELEY, Calif. – Head Coach Jeff Hendershot officially takes the court for the first time leading Pacific women's volleyball on Friday as they compete in the Gael-Bear classic, hosted by California and Saint Mary's, for a trio of games starting with California on August 28 at 7 p.m. from Haas Pavilion.

Friday's match against California pits the Golden Bears and Tigers against each other for the first time since 2021 when Cal took a closely contested five set affair. Despite recent stumbles against the power four foe, Pacific still holds a decided 31-9 record over Cal. Should coach Hendershot win in his debut, it would be the first win in Berkeley since 2016.

Pacific does return three key pieces from the 2025 team in rising junior Alessia Couchond and rising sophomores Hannah Koester and Bella Gutierrez. Couchond played the role of facilitator, leading the team with just over six assists a set last season as well as pacing the team from the service line with 25 aces amongst returners. Koester meanwhile represents the bulk of the other half of the offense, swinging for 1.91 kills/set last season and totaling 122 kills.

The outside hitter had her best stretch of games on opening weekend last year, going for 39 total kills at The Ridge Invitational and set her career best 15 kills against host CSUN on August 30.

Gutierrez, out of the libero spot, anchors the defense with her 218 digs last season – the second most by a Pacific true freshman this decade and the fourth most since 2018. The rising sophomore was also one of the club's most reliable student-athletes as one of two to play in every match last season.

The rest of the weekend provides similar history for the Tigers as the team has won nine of the last ten when they face Gonzaga on Saturday. Despite dropping the most recent meeting, the former conference foe Bulldogs have not won consecutive games against Pacific since 2019-2021. Saturday's match will take place on the campus of Saint Mary's in Moraga, California.

The final match of the weekend sees Pacific return to Berkeley for another neutral court match, this time against Southern Utah. All-time, the Tigers are 1-0 against the Thunderbirds, sweeping SUU in 2011.

Only one of Pacific's matchups this weekend will be broadcast - the season opener against Cal, which can be seen on the ACC Network on ESPN+. However, fans can still follow the weekend action via live stats and the Pacific women's volleyball social media channels.

Tigers Tickets
Tickets for upcoming events can be purchased through the PacificTigers.com tickets tab, or by calling the Box Office at 209-946-2474.  Groups of 10 or more are eligible for a group discount and exclusive fan experiences.
 
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