Santa Clara never got going off the bus in Stockton on Saturday afternoon as the Pacific Tigers rallied to win the match 3-0. Santa Clara defeated UOP at home 3-0 earlier this season. Set scores were 13-25, 17-25 and 15-25. Santa Clara is 16-7 and 6-4 in the WCC. Pacific is 18-5 and 7-3 in the WCC.
The Broncos hit .065 with 29 kills (22 e, 107 att.). They collected 29 assists, one ace, one service error, 34 digs and four team blocks. Nikki Hess led the Broncos with 10 kills, while Taylor Milton and Sabrina Clayton added seven each. Milton added eight digs. Chloe Sliger had 22 assists and five digs. Danielle Rottman had eight digs.
The Tigers hit .383 with 46 kills (10 e, 94 att.). They collected 44 assists, five aces, five service errors, 47 digs and 12.5 team blocks. Howard led the Tigers with 13 kills, hitting .765 (0 e, 17 att.). Lexi Elman and Kat Schulz scored 10 each while setters Kimmy Whitson and Anne Shelton added 19 assists each.
Pacific took an early 4-1 lead in the first set. After a Hess kill brought SCU within two points, UOP scored five of the next six points to take an 11-5 lead. When the Tigers scored six of the next nine points, SCU called for time, down 17-8. A Clayton kill and a Natasha Calkins block solo helped rally the Broncos, trailing 17-10. UOP scored eight of the next 11 to win the first set 25-13.
A couple swings by Hess and one each by Clayton and Milton put SCU 4-2 early in the second set. The teams tied it up three times. UOP scored three of the next four to take a 9-7 lead. Two kills by Milton sandwiched between a UOP team block made it 10-9 UOP. UOP scored three of the next four on Bronco errors and a kill. The Broncos rallied for a team block and a block solo by Edwards to pull within on, 13-12. UOP scored three of the next four when Calkins answered with a kill in the middle for a sideout. After the Tigers scored two more, SCU called for time, down 18-14. UOP scored five of the next seven to move ahead 23-16. Hess scored out of the Bronco timeout for a sideout, but UOP quickly got the ball for set point. The third kill of the day for Katy Targart gave UOP set two 25-17.
Tied four times early in the third set, UOP jumped ahead 9-5 and SCU called for time. The two teams both scored three each and UOP advanced its lead to 12-8. UOP kept pouring it on, scoring 10 of the next 13 to take a 22-11 lead. Sliger dumped the ball for a Bronco sideout and the Brocos scored three of the next four. A kill by Target gave UOP set point, but Hess helped UOP off with one of her own, 24-15 UOP. Elman ended the set and the match with a kill, 25-15 UOP.
