May 27, 2003
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara University volleyball team announced its 2003 Schedule on Monday that includes nine home matches, four of which are against nationally ranked teams.
After finishing 2002 with the No. 16 national ranking, and reaching as high as No. 11 earlier in the year, the Broncos will compete in a schedule during the 2003 that will rank among the toughest in the nation.
The Broncos will open up the 2003 season much like the 2002 season, spending their first four weeks on the road at various tournaments. They begin the 2003 campaign at the UOP Tournament where they will take on Pacific, San Jose State and Tulsa. From there they travel to Tucson for the Wildcat Classic where they will take on Arizona, Miami, Rhode Island and San Diego State.
Two other tournaments will conclude their 13-game roadtrip to begin the season, playing in both the U.S. Bank/Arby's Invitational hosted by Nebraska and the Gamecock Tournament hosted by South Carolina. SCU will take on Nebraska Georgia Tech and Michigan State in Lincoln, Neb., before playing South Carolina, Duke and George Washington in Spartanburg, S.C.
Santa Clara returns home on September 26 for a highly anticipated matchup with perennial powerhouse, the University of Hawaii. Game time is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. that night. The Broncos will then play at Sacramento State in their final game prior to the WCC season getting under way.
Once the WCC season begins the Broncos will play each member of the conference twice, once on each team's home court. October 11 against San Diego and November 21 against Pepperdine, highlight the WCC home season as both teams were ranked in the top-25 at one point during the 2002 season.
The Broncos will conclude their 2003 regular season at home on November 25 as they welcome the 2002 National Runners-Up, Stanford Cardinal, to the Leavey Center for a 7 p.m. first serve.
Head Coach Jon Wallace returns for a fifth season after leading Santa Clara to four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances in his first four seasons which merited him a contract extension through the 2007 season. He has compiled a 91-33 overall record in his four years to go along with a 46-10 mark in West Coast Conference play.
Wallace brings along with him a veteran group of players led by 2002 All-American Becky Potter and the 2002 NCAA assists leader, Kelli Sousa. Joining Potter and Sousa is fellow senior and All-WCC performer Becky Biniek who was second on the team in 2002 in hitting percentage and total blocks.
Click Here for a complete look at the 2003 Schedule.