Nov. 8, 2008
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara volleyball team served up its fourth straight win and its 10th sweep of the season with a 3-0 victory over Portland Saturday afternoon at the Leavey Center. The final set scores were 25-17, 25-16, 25-18. With the win, the Broncos improved to 17-6 on the season and 8-3 in WCC action, while Portland dropped to 6-21 overall and 0-11 in league play.
Brittany Lowe led the match with 13 kills, while Lindsy Davigeadono compiled a match-best 66.7 hitting percentage, 33 assists and two aces. Krista Kelley posted a match-high four total blocks for the Broncos.
The Pilots took the Broncos off guard in the first set as they steadily climbed to a 9-5 lead. Portland won the first three points of the set and their run was initially interrupted by a service error. Santa Clara fought hard to knot the score, coming within one point on four occasions. A spectacular rally for the Broncos was ignited with a kill by Anna Cmaylo, was fueled by Cmaylo's service and ended with a kill by Davigeadono, knotted the score 15-15 and gave Santa Clara a 21-15 advantage. SCU continued to put ahead and with a Pilot service error, won set one, 25-18.
Santa Clara earned an 8-2 lead in the beginning of the second set on points from Kelly, Tanya Schmidt and Cmaylo. However, Portland continued its first and brought the score within two points, 14-12, on a kill by K.C. Fox. Yet, the Broncos held their composure and did not relinquish their edge. A 6-0 run brought SCU to a 22-14 lead and a Pilot service error once again ended the set for the Broncos, 25-16.
In the third and final set, the Broncos once again earned the advantage. The Pilots tried to keep the score as tight as possible but after a 6-2 run, SCU had compiled a seven-point edge, 18-11, on a kill by Davigeadono. Santa Clara reached match-point on a kill by Lowe, but Portland was able to hold off with a kill by Jennifer Sheedy, a block by Ashley Grayson and Marissa Plummer and a Bronco error, 24-18. However, Cmaylo pounded out the final point of the match off a set from Davigeadono.
For the Pilots, Grayson and Fox registered nine kills, while Plummer led the match with four blocks.
The Broncos close out the road portion of the regular-season next weekend against the Dons and Toreros. Santa Clara and USF face off on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. at the War Memorial Gym in San Francisco, while SCU and USD battle it out on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.