Sept. 4, 2001
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Home Opener
Santa Clara will play a Tuesday match at Bay Area rival San Jose State (3-0) and then prepare to open the home schedule. Renovations to the Leavey Center, the Broncos' home court, kept the squad on the road for the first 15 matches last season and moved their home contests to the Pat Malley Recreation & Fitness Center adjacent to Leavey. Now reopen for competition, the Broncos will begin the home schedule with the Santa Clara Invitational, hosting Creighton, No. 13 UC Santa Barbara and North Carolina on Sept 8 and 9.
"We're excited to host a tournament again," head coach Jon Wallace said. "After getting a few matches underneath our belt, I really like our chances to beat UC Santa Barbara at home and we beat North Carolina last year on their home court so we'll be trying to stop them from returning the favor."
Team Poster Giveaway
Don't miss your chance to get an official Santa Clara Volleyball poster during the team's home opener at the Santa Clara Invitational!
Live on the Internet
This weekend's Santa Clara Invitational will mark the launching of a new feature on www.SantaClaraBroncos.com. Fans can now follow each regular season home match with a live statistical tracker. By logging on, fans can receive real-time updated statistics direct from the official courtside scoring computer for the team's 14 home contests.
A Change of Scenery
After spending the past season playing its home matches at the nearby Pat Malley Fitness and Recreation Center, the volleyball program returns to its home of 25 years, the Leavey Center. Formerly known as Harold J. Toso Pavilion, Leavey is in the second phase of a two-year reconstruction effort that is transforming the building into one of the finest sports venues of its size on the West Coast.
Phase I reconstruction relocated the Broncos to Malley, where they played a shortened nine-match home season. After opening 2000 with a 5-match road swing, SCU is looking forward to playing its fifth match of the season on its home court, as part of the Santa Clara Invitational.
Began in March, the second phase of the Leavey Center will cost an estimated $14 million and will include a complete reconstruction of the east side of the building. Included will be athletic department offices, weight room, academic center, team room, press center, video control room, new upper level seating and a suite that overlooks the court-a 43,000-square-foot addition spanning four stories of the University's 25-year-old sports complex.
The seating capacity for the building will be reduced to 2,400 during the 2001 volleyball season while construction remains in progress. A joint effort between project contractor Devcon Construction and architect Ellerbe Becket provided a four-story wall that will allow competition and day-to-day operations to continue during construction. Once the seating phase of construction is completed by late December, the building will accommodate more than 4,500 fans for a Bronco athletic event, compared to 4,255 last year. Phase II is scheduled for completion in April 2002.
The first phase, which was highlighted by the removal of the famous "bubble" roof in April 2000, required SCU coaches and administrators to move into temporary quarters. At the completion of $11.75 million Phase I renovation in January, Leavey had a new roof surrounded by spectacular 23-foot glass walls, a new floor, new bleachers and a new suspended scoreboard.
The Leavey Event Center is named after the late founder of Farmers Insurance, Thomas E. Leavey, who graduated from Santa Clara in 1922. In addition to the volleyball program, it is the home of the Broncos men's and women's basketball teams.
Season/Match Tickets On Sale
Season and individual match tickets for Santa Clara University's nationally recognized volleyball team are on sale through the Department of Athletics and Recreation's official website www.SantaClaraBroncos.com and the athletic ticket office at 408-554-4660.
In conjunction with its exclusive Internet partner, Student Advantage's FANSonly Network, the athletic department has developed an online ticket application that provides fans with the ability to purchase season tickets, family plans, individual games or an all-sports pass via the official athletic website.
Season and individual match ticket packages are also available through the athletic ticket office, open between the hours of 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Season ticket packages, which includes 14 home matches as well as the four-team Santa Clara Invitational, are available for the adult price of $50. Youth and senior season tickets are $30, while the five-person Family Plan is available for $75. Individual match tickets are priced at $5 for adults, $3 for youths and seniors and $2 for non-Ruff Riders SCU students. Members of Bronco Kidz are admitted into volleyball games free of charge. Single match team passes are available for $25. Groups of 25 or more are also eligible for a discount.
Up Next: Sacramento State, the Diet Coke Classic
The Broncos will host Sacramento State on Tuesday, Sept. 12 before flying off to Minneapolis, Minn., to take part in the Diet Coke Classic. The Broncos will open the tournament against host Minnesota, ranked 14th nationally, on Friday night. Saturday play will see Santa Clara play Oral Roberts and Mississippi.
Last Week: Broncos Go 3-1 at Sun Devil Challenge
Santa Clara went 3-1 last weekend at the 12th Annual Phoenix Airport Hilton/Sun Devil Challenge hosted by Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz. The Broncos swept Hofstra, defeated host ASU in four games and closed tournament play with a five-game victory over Nevada. The squad's loss came to 23rd-ranked South Carolina in three games. Freshman Toni Muratore led the team in kills in three of the four matches en route to All-Tournament Team honors. Sophomore Becky Potter was also named to the All-Tournament team.
Freshman Faces
The Bronco Class of 2005 includes Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 players Toni Muratore and Jennifer Ryan as well as Megan Johnston and Christina Vick. Head coach Jon Wallace said all four will be asked to contribute a lot as soon as they arrive on campus, and their growth will allow the team to be a top program by their sophomore year.
Muratore is the tallest of the recruits at 6-2 and will play in the middle. A Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 honoree, Muratore was named the Central California Conference MVP last season after leading Atwater High School to a second straight playoff experience.
Like Muratore, Ryan was also a Fab 50 selection. From La Reina High School, 6-0 newcomer will see time at both middle blocker and outside hitter. She became the first player at La Reina to reach 1,000 career kills and finished with 1,249, earning All-State honors while being named the CIF MVP this past season. Her Sport Shack Club team won the National Championships in 1999 and finished as runners-up last season.
Johnston is a 5-9 outside hitter that can also play on the right side. Her Bullard High School team was the Valley Champions last season while her Fresno Club team placed fifth at the Junior Nationals the last two seasons.
Vick is another multi-positional player who will fit into the Bronco lineup as either a middle blocker or an outside hitter. She led San Clemente High School to four straight CIF appearances, including the finals as a senior. Academically, she was a member of her school's National Honor Society, was the vice president of her senior class and graduated as valedictorian.