Oct. 29, 2003
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This Week: Broncos Return to Leavey Center for Two WCC Matches
The Santa Clara University volleyball team returns home to the Leavey Center this weekend for a pair of matches against the University of Portland and Gonzaga University. Friday night's match with the Pilots is scheduled for 7 p.m. as is Saturday night's tilt with the Bulldogs. SCU enters the weekend with a 3-1 record at home, a 14-8 overall record and a 5-2 mark in the West Coast Conference.
Santa Clara vs. Portland
The Broncos and Pilots have met 35 previous times entering this weekend's matchup with Santa Clara holding a commanding 28-6 all-time series advantage over Portland. Including a 3-0 win earlier this year in Portland, the Broncos have defeated the Pilots 17 straight times, a streak that dates back to their final meeting in the 1994 season.
Santa Clara vs. Gonzaga
The Broncos and Bulldogs have met 33 previous times entering Saturday night's match in the Leavey Center. Santa Clara has taken 27 of those 33 matches, including the last 18 in a row dating back to their first meeting in the 1994 season. SCU is 13-3 at home against the Zags and have won the last eight meetings in the Leavey Center/Toso Pavilion. Earlier this season the Broncos defeating the Bulldogs by a 3-1 score in the first WCC match of the season in Spokane, Wash.
Last Weekend: Broncos Drop First Two WCC Matches
Santa Clara had a rough weekend in the Los Angeles area as the Broncos dropped their first two WCC matches of the season. Friday night's match at No. 17 Loyola Marymount seemed destined to go the way of the Broncos as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead and led 20-14 in game three before the Lions rebounded to win that game and the next two for a 3-2 upset victory over the 12th-ranked Broncos. SCU faced a tough challenge just two days later as they made the short drive to Malibu, Calif., for a 1 p.m. match with 5th-ranked Pepperdine in front of a live national television audience on CSTV. The Waves took the first two games before the Broncos rallied for a win in game three. Pepperdine's fresh legs outlasted their road weary visitors and won game four for a 3-1 match victory.
Welcome to the Club
Needing only 18 kills to reach 1,000 digs in her career, Becky Potter reached the mark with her 24 digs at LMU. She becomes only the sixth player in SCU history to post at least 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. Additionally Potter became one of the elite players in WCC history as she also became only the fifth player in league history to post at least 1,600 kills and 1,000 digs. For her career, Potter now has 1,655 kills and 1,015 digs. She trails Ynez Carrasco for the all-time kills mark at Santa Clara by only 93 kills with eight matches remaining.
McGiven Provides Spark
Redshirt freshman Kim McGiven provided a much need spark for the Broncos in games three and four against Pepperdine. After appearing only briefly in a defensive substitution in game two, McGiven entered halfway through game three and provided 10 kills from that point on to the rest of the match. Those kills came on only 19 attacks with two errors for a .421 hitting percentage. Her efforts helped the Broncos to a 30-27 win in game three.
Potter Reaches 20-20 Plateau Again
For the second time this season, senior Becky Potter posted at least 20 kills and 20 digs in the same match. This time she registered match-highs in both kills and digs in the Broncos' 3-2 loss at No. 17 LMU with her 28 kills and 24 digs. Earlier this season she posted 23 kills and 20 digs at Sacramento State on September 28, becoming only the 10th player in school history to accomplish the feat.
Sousa Making Mark on Bronco Volleyball History
Kelli Sousa has become one of the best setters in the nation during her career on the Mission Campus. As a junior she led the country in assists per game with her 14.38 average. She has picked up in 2003 right where she left off in 2002. Thus far this season Sousa has spread the ball around enough that three players ended 15 of the team's 22 matches with double-digit kills. With 1,174 assists this season, she now has 4,665 for her career, the second highest total in program history. She trails only Roz Pelayo for the all-time record, who recorded 5,732 assists in her four year career at SCU. Sousa served as Pelayo's backup during the 2000 season.
In the Rankings
SCU fell to the No. 15 spot in the AVCA/USA Today Top-25 Coaches' Poll, after spending last week with its highest ranking of the season at No. 12. The Broncos' two losses over the weekend did not hurt so much as both came to top-25 teams. Santa Clara entered the season with its highest ever preseason national ranking of No. 14. The Broncos moved up to No. 13 after an early season victory over No. 10 Arizona, but fell to No. 20 one week later after three losses to top-25 teams.
Up Next: Broncos Travel to San Diego
Santa Clara will make a return trip to San Diego next weekend to take on the Toreros of USD. Saturday night's match at the Jenny Craig Pavilion is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Earlier this season the Broncos posted a 3-0 sweep of USD in the Leavey Center when the Toreros were ranked 18th.
