Sept. 21, 2007
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - In front of a energetic and boisterous crowd, the Santa Clara volleyball team served up a 3-0 (30-21, 30-18, 30-22) sweep of San Jose State Friday night in the sixth annual Rivalry Series. With the win the Broncos improved to 8-6 on the year, while the Spartans evened out a 6-6 overall.
"They played with pride tonight," said head coach Jon Wallace. "The crowd had a lot to do with the energy on the court. There were many times I saw our players looking into the stands. They were really excited that all these students were out supporting them. It gave them a lot more pride."
Junior Brittany Lowe registered her fifth double-double of the season with a match-high 18 kills and 11 digs. The outside hitter also posted a match-high four total blocks. Aiding the Broncos attack were sophomore Lindsy Evans and freshman Krista Kelley. Evans tallied 15 kills and a match-best .481 hitting percentage (15-2-27), while Kelley recorded 13 kills. Junior Taylor O'Brien collected a personal best and match-high 13 digs, while senior setter Crystal Matich dished out 50 assists and recorded 10 digs for her second double-double of the season.
The Broncos jumped to a quick 5-1 lead in the first game on points from Evans and Lowe. SCU held the lead through the entire game even though SJSU tried its hardest to tie the score. Evans got on top the ball to give Santa Clara an 18-12 advantage, while a spike from Lowe brought the Broncos to 20 points. Back-to-back unassisted kills from Evans and Kelley gave SCU match point, while a kill from Lauryn Dowd ended game one, 30-21.
Santa Clara gained a 7-4 lead in game two on a service ace from Lowe. But San Jose State rallied back to bring the score within two, 10-8, on a kill from Jennifer Senftleben. Yet, that was the closest the Spartans were able to get. SCU pushed a head on a four-point rally from Kelley to make the score, 21-12. The Broncos earned a 10-point lead over the Spartans, 27-17, on a block assist from Evans and Lowe, and then finished the second game, 30-18.
Coming back from the break, the Spartans opened the third game, 4-1, on points from Emily Burke. However, the Broncos fought back to knot the score, 4-4 on a block from Scoffone and Lowe. The two teams then battled point-for-point throughout the remainder of the game, with score being tied seven times. On strong serving efforts from Kelley and kills from Lowe and Dowd, the Bronco gained a four-point edge, 17-13. SCU continued to hold control of the scoreboard as a kill from Evans brought the score to, 29-21. Santa Clara brought the match to a close with a 30-22 game three victory on a high-powered kill from Lowe.
"It was so much fun out there tonight," said Kelley. "We had great communication and a lot of support from the bench and the crowd."
For the Spartans, Keri Anglin registered 10 kills and two total blocks, while Burke posted a double-double with 18 assists and 11 digs.
The Broncos return to action on Sunday, Sept. 23, to host the Rebels of UNLV. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m., at the Leavey Center.
