No. 4 Cal Women Defeat No. 14 UCLA, 165-96, to Remain Undefeated

BERKELEY, California, January 26. THE 165-96Fourth-ranked California completed a sweep of the Los Angeles schools when it defeated fourteenth-ranked UCLA, 165-96, on a sunny Saturday at Spieker Aquatics Complex. The Golden Bears improved their record to 10-0 (5-0 Pac-10), while the Bruins fell to 6-3 (2-3 Pac-10). Cal now has a 16-10 advantage in the all-time series with UCLA.

The Bears beat No. 11 USC yesterday, 181-99, in Berkeley.

"We had a few very good races, but for the most part, we were fair," Cal assistant coach Johan Steiner said. The first-year assistant added that he was happiest with "our team environment. We stayed focused. It carried over from yesterday. I thought yesterday we were very focused as a team. We had good team energy, had good team chemistry, and they carried that through today. I think they challenged themselves to try to race a little harder, even if they were ahead, don't back off, just go a little harder."

Against UCLA, Cal junior Emily Silver, senior teammate Sherry Tsai and sophomore teammate Dana Vollmer each won three races, including the 200-yard medley relay. Cal's A squad, which included sophomore Jessica Hardy, swam an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time (NCAA B) of 1:40.71.

Bears freshman Blake Hayter won the next event, the 1000 freestyle, in 9:56.85. Senior teammate Erin Reilly won the third event, the 200 free, in an NCAA B time of 1:49.91. UCLA senior Kate Nelson, the 2006 Pac-10 champion in the 1650 free, took second in the 1000 free (9:59.62) and, with no break in between events, swam the 200 free, taking sixth 1:54.33.

Tsai next won the 100 backstroke in 54.86 (NCAA B), her second-best time of the season to the 54.57 she swam to win the 100 back yesterday against USC. The Hong Kong Olympian returned later to win the 200 back in a season-best time of 2:00.31 (NCAA B).

Silver won both the 50 (23.02, NCAA B) and 100 (49.86, NCAA B) frees. Her 50 time tied her season best, which she swam on Dec. 1 at the 2006 Georgia Invitational.

Vollmer won the 200 butterfly (2:00.93, NCAA B) and 500 free (4:52.67, NCAA B).

Other winners for Cal included Hardy in the 100 breaststroke (1:02.59, NCAA B), junior Leann Toomey in the 100 fly (55.59) and freshman Heather White in the 400 individual medley (4:18.99, NCAA B).

UCLA won the 200 breaststroke (Nicolette Teo, 2:16.51, NCAA B), 200-free relay (Katie Arnold, Anna Poteete, Amy Thurman and Ashley Anlauf, 1:33.99), one-meter springboard (Marisa Samaniego, 258.07) and three-meter board (Sara Clark, 296.33).

Freshman Samantha Young paced the Bears in diving, taking fourth at one meter (254.70) and third at three meters (243.00). In the 200 breaststroke, freshman Alexandra Ellis led Cal with a second-place finish (2:17.79) and in the closing, 200-free relay, the Cal B quartet of freshman Lauren Boyle, sophomore Lauren Rogers, Tsai and Vollmer took second in 1:34.06).

"All the girls came in and had a strong event today," Cal diving coach Tom Davidson said of his divers, who are all freshmen. "UCLA has a much more experienced team than we have, with two seniors and a sophomore. The two seniors are in their fifth years, and they know how to compete and did well.

"With our kids, there were only three and a half points between Sam and UCLA's top girl [Samaniego] on one meter. For her to do that on one meter was great to see. On the three meter, Sam had a solid meet; she just missed one dive."

Cal is back in action when it hosts top-ranked Stanford at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3.

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