SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Santa Clara beach volleyball hosted a competitive Saturday full of action in the inaugural day of competition at the Santa Clara Beach Volleyball Courts.
The Broncos (1-9, 0-5 WCC) held two leads in each of their matches and eventually fell to San José State in the morning and San Francisco in the afternoon, each by a score of 3-2. The Dons (4-9, 2-4 WCC) won the second matchup of the day 3-2 over the Spartans (8-11) at the Santa Clara University Beach Tournament.
SAN JOSÉ STATE 3 SANTA CLARA 2
Erin Reineking/Michelle Gajdka carded a victory in comeback fashion to start the day. The Bronco pair defeated Thaliana Grajeda/Jamie Hirai 11-21, 22-20, 15-13 and Reineking capped the team's first dual victory on campus grounds with a cross-court bump for a kill.
HIGHLIGHT | Clutch shot from Erin Reineking to clinch the first dual on the Mission campus in program history! #StampedeTogether #SCUBroncos pic.twitter.com/V4eY09xffA
— SantaClaraVolleyball (@scuvolleyball) April 7, 2018
Taylor Odom/Tessie Powers teamed up for only the second time this year in the day's first match and prevailed 21-19, 21-23, 15-9 over San José State's Breann Robinson/Luiza Andrade at No. 3. Powers sealed the win with an ace in the third set.
The Spartans won in straight sets at the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 positions; each set was decided by at least five points. San José State defeated Santa Clara 5-0 the first time the teams faced off this season on March 18.
No. 1 – Nandyala Gama/Lyndi Scholl (SJSU) def. Kirsten Mead/Hailey Lindberg (SCU) 21-16, 21-9
No. 2 – Julia Golbeck/Ciara Reistad (SJSU) def. Anna McCreadie/Gretchen Reinert (SCU) 21-12, 21-12
No. 3 – Taylor Odom/Tessie Powers (SCU) def. Breann Robinson/Luiza Andrade (SJSU) 21-19, 21-23, 15-9
No. 4 – Laura Parts/Kaitlynn Zdorik (SJSU) def. Ngozi Nwabuzoh/Tatiana San Juan (SCU) 21-7, 21-13
No. 5 – Erin Reineking/Michelle Gajdka (SCU) def. Thaliana Grajeda/Jamie Hirai (SJSU) 11-21, 22-20, 15-13
HIGHLIGHT/SCORE UPDATE | @Tessie_Powers delivers a dual-clinching ace!#SCUBroncos 2 @SJSUVB 1
— SantaClaraVolleyball (@scuvolleyball) April 7, 2018
No. 3: Odom/Powers (SCU) def. Robinson/Andrade (SJSU) 21-19, 21-23, 15-9
No. 4: Parts/Zdorik (SJSU) def. Nwabuzoh/San Juan (SCU) 21-7, 21-13
1s and 2s in action now! #StampedeTogether pic.twitter.com/B1MOnuZ1UH
SAN FRANCISCO 3 SANTA CLARA 2
Reineking/Gajdka put the Broncos up early once more by outlasting Shannon Levinson/Pi'ikea Clemens 21-11, 12-21, 15-13 at No. 5. Reineking dropped a well-placed cut shot in for her second dual-clinching point of the day to finish off the third set.
Ngozi Nwabuzoh/Tatiana San Juan overcame a first-set loss in the nightcap to defeat Sabrina Blackwell and Nora Buvarp-Lavik 14-21, 21-16, 15-11 at No. 4. Nwabuzoh tallied each of Santa Clara's set-clinching points.
HIGHLIGHT/SCORE UPDATE | Ngozi Nwabuzoh doubles up on set winners!#SCUBroncos 2 @USFDonsVB 1
— SantaClaraVolleyball (@scuvolleyball) April 8, 2018
No. 3: Araujo/Ronda (USF) def. Odom/Powers (SCU) 21-19, 21-16
No. 4: Nwabuzoh/San Juan (SCU) def. Blackwell/Buvarp-Lavik (USF) 14-21, 21-16, 15-11
1s, 2s to decide it! #StampedeTogether pic.twitter.com/RIStgzU37f
San Francisco got the victories it needed at No. 1 and No. 2 to win the match. Following a straight-sets victory by top pairing Julia Topor/Anna Dalla Vecchia, Haley Howell/Carly Lowry (No. 2) rallied to win the last two sets of their tilt with Anna McCreadie/Gretchen Reinert. San Francisco also defeated the Broncos 3-2 on March 2 during the first weekend of the season.
No. 1 – Julia Topor/Anna Dalla Vecchia (USF) def. Kirsten Mead/Hailey Lindberg (SCU) 21-15, 21-11
No. 2 – Haley Howell/Carly Lowry (USF) def. Anna McCreadie/Gretchen Reinert (SCU) 11-21, 21-19, 15-9
No. 3 – Camille Araujo/Erica Ronda (USF) def. Taylor Odom/Tessie Powers (SCU) 21-19, 21-16
No. 4 – Ngozi Nwabuzoh/Tatiana San Juan (SCU) def. Sabrina Blackwell/Nora Buvarp-Lavik (USF) 14-21, 21-16, 15-11
No. 5 – Erin Reineking/Michelle Gajdka (SCU) def. Shannon Levinson/Pi'ikea Clemens (USF) 21-11, 12-21, 15-13
HIGHLIGHT/SCORE UPDATE | Erin Reineking with the dual-clincher again! #SCUBroncos 1 @USFDonsVB 0
— SantaClaraVolleyball (@scuvolleyball) April 7, 2018
No. 5: Reineking/Gajdka (SCU) def. Levinson/Clemens (USF) 21-11, 12-21, 15-13
Exhibition: Koutsoukos/Zinger (USF) def. McCreadie/Gillingham (SCU) 21-18, 16-21, 15-12#StampedeTogether pic.twitter.com/Jolemd64nD
SAN FRANCISCO 3 SAN JOSÉ STATE 2
No. 1 – Nandyala Gama/Lyndi Scholl (SJSU) def. Julia Topor/Anna Dalla Vecchia (USF) 21-19, 21-19
No. 2 – Haley Howell/Carly Lowry (USF) def. Julia Golbeck/Ciara Reistad (SJSU) 17-21, 21-19, 15-12
No. 3 – Camille Araujo/Erica Ronda (USF) def. Breann Robinson/Luiza Andrade (SJSU) 21-13, 21-15
No. 4 – Nora Buvarp-Lavik/Sabrina Blackwell (USF) def. Laura Parts/Kaitlynn Zdorik (SJSU) 21-18, 21-16
No. 5 – Summer Avery/Ryann Thomison (SJSU) def. Shannon Levinson/Pi'ikea Clemens (USF) 21-14, 21-11
NEXT UP
The Broncos play their final two regular season matches next week. They travel to Pacific on Tuesday before welcoming Saint Mary's to the Mission campus on Wednesday. Both matches start at 3 p.m.
