Beach Volleyball Defeats Pacific, Reaches Bronze Medal Match at WCC Invite

Alex Anthony (10)/Chloe Loreen (1) helped Santa Clara start Saturday off with a 4-1 victory over Pacific.
Alex Anthony (10)/Chloe Loreen (1) helped Santa Clara start Saturday off with a 4-1 victory over Pacific.

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Santa Clara beach volleyball claimed one of three Duals on Saturday to round out action at the West Coast Conference Midseason Invitational at Santa Cruz Main Beach. The Broncos opened the day with a 4-1 victory over Pacific for their second straight win before falling to No. 13 Loyola Marymount 5-0 in their second contest and San Francisco 3-2 in the bronze medal matchup.

The Broncos (2-5) swept the Tigers (0-5) at the two through five positions. Alexa Dreyer/Natalia Rentsch scored a dominant victory at No. 5, taking the first set 21-13 before rolling to a 21-4 win in the second frame. Alex Anthony/Chloe Loreen (No. 2), Kathryn Decker/Liliana Light (No. 3) and Brittany Gillingham/Gretchen Reinert (No. 4) won in straight sets by at least a five-point margin in both sets.

The nationally-ranked Lions (15-7), who went on to defeat No. 18 Saint Mary's in the gold medal matchup, swept at all five spots. Loyola Marymount held Santa Clara to fewer than 10 points in six of 10 sets.

The Dons (9-10) won the third head-to-head meeting of the season with Santa Clara by taking the second, third, and fourth positions. Santa Clara's Michelle Gajdka/Tessie Powers and Gillingham/Reinert won at the No. 1 and No. 5 spots, respectively, including the second three-set match in a three-dual day for Gajdka/Powers.

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The Broncos hit the road Wednesday to face Saint Mary's before a pair of home contests against the Gaels (April 6) and San José State (April 9).

SANTA CLARA 4 PACIFIC 1

1. Alex Holt/Gabby Leo (PAC) def. Michelle Gajdka/Tessie Powers (SCU), 30-28, 19-21, 15-10

2. Alex Anthony/Chloe Loreen (SCU) def. Lucy Carpenter/Riley Patterson (PAC), 21-14, 21-16

3. Kathryn Decker/Liliana Light (SCU) def. Lauren Cline/Allison Dennemann (PAC), 21-14, 21-16

4. Brittany Gillingham/Gretchen Reinert (SCU) def. Kennedy Kaminsky/Jadyn Tubbs (PAC), 21-15, 21-16

5. Alexa Dreyer/Natalia Rentsch (SCU) def. Alyna Abeleda-Mostajo/Sarah Bethea (PAC), 21-13, 21-4

NO. 13 LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 5 SANTA CLARA 0

1. Bo Culo/Megan Nash (LMU) def. Michelle Gajdka/Tessie Powers (SCU), 21-15, 21-9

2. Reka Orsi Toth/Savannah Slattery (LMU) def. Alex Anthony/Chloe Loreen (SCU), 21-8, 21-14

3. Sara Kovac/Jessie Prichard (LMU) def. Kathryn Decker/Liliana Light (SCU), 21-9, 21-9

4. Erin Martin/Veronica Nederend (LMU) def. Brittany Gillingham/Gretchen Reinert (SCU), 21-6, 21-7

5. Ella Boehle/Emma Doud (LMU) def. Alexa Dreyer/Natalia Rentsch (SCU), 21-11, 21-12 

BRONZE MEDAL DUAL MATCH: SAN FRANCISCO 3 SANTA CLARA 2

1. Michelle Gajdka/Tessie Powers (SCU) def. Anna Dalla Vecchia/Carly Lowry (USF), 21-16, 19-21, 15-10

2. Madelyn LaFollette/Emily Zinger (USF) def. Alex Anthony/Chloe Loreen (SCU), 23-21, 21-16

3. Ella Reames/Moana To'oto'o (USF) def. Kathryn Decker/Liliana Light (SCU), 21-17, 21-13

4. Camille Araujo/Victoria Rogers (USF) def. Alexa Dreyer/Natalia Rentsch (SCU), 21-10, 21-19

5. Brittany Gillingham/Gretchen Reinert (SCU) def. Tanner Shayne Pemberton/Sophie Sydenham (USF), 21-7, 21-14

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