Before we getting into the analysis, please note Hailey Cowles is the starting left-side in place of Kyla Roehrig. Mark Heise: Everyone always says each game is just as important as the next one, or they put just as much focus on this team as another team. But honestly, when going up against someone like No. 4 California, does the mindset change a little bit either in preparing for the match or maybe heading into the match? What’s the difference between playing someone like California vs. a non-ranked team? Krista Chin: Going up against a team like Cal can most definitely change the mindset, not only in preparing for the game but during the game itself. This is the highest ranked team the Gophers have faced thus far in the season so it leads to a great opportunity for them to show the fierce mentality they have been playing with throughout the preseason competition. The level of competition that this game will produce is one the Gopher fans will want to remember as each team has potential All-American candidates. Cal comes from a great conference similar to the Big Ten, so just as the Gophers, they are preparing for tough matches every weekend. Whether a team is non-ranked or ranked, the preparation is the same except for the the different players on the the other side of the net. Playing teams that are ranked give more opportunity to show the competitive nature the Gophers possess.