SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Santa Clara volleyball is set to welcome back its 2005 NCAA Final Four volleyball team as part of a 10th anniversary celebration this weekend. The most successful group in program history will be recognized at halftime of the Bronco men's basketball game Saturday against BYU, which tips off at 1 p.m.
The 2005 Broncos went 27-5 overall to match the best winning percentage in program history, including a school record 15 straight victories from Sept. 23 – Nov. 5. They posted a 12-2 conference mark to win the West Coast Conference and earn an automatic berth to the postseason.
"What made this team special was its ability to have friendships on and off the court, and be fierce competitors against eachother," head coach Jon Wallace said. "The gym environment on a day-to-day basis was extremely competitive and brought out the best in the girls, so when we were challenged by the likes of Stanford and Arizona, we knew how to compete and we knew how to finish. The girls absolutely enjoyed those big moments."
Santa Clara defeated Sacramento State 3-1 in the NCAA Tournament's opening round and upset defending national champion and fifth-seeded Stanford on the Cardinal's home court to reach the regional semifinals. The Broncos' second round win was the first in program history over Stanford.
After sweeping conference rival Pepperdine in its third tournament match, Santa Clara topped fourth-seeded Arizona 3-2 in the regional final. The Broncos fell to the tournament's No. 1 overall seed, Nebraska, in the national semifinal and finished the year ranked fourth in the country. The 2005 Broncos are one of three unseeded teams to reach the national semifinals since the NCAA adopted a 64-team tournament field in 1998.
The Broncos received several accolades for their success:
Jon Wallace — Volleyball Magazine National Coach of the Year, Collegiate Volleyball Update Coach of the Year, AVCA Pacific Region Coach of the Year, WCC Coach of the Year
Cassie Perret — First Team AVCA All-American, First Team AVCA All-Pacific Region, WCC Player of the Year, First Team All-WCC
Anna Cmaylo — Third Team AVCA All-American, First Team AVCA All-Pacific Region, First Team All-WCC
Crystal Matich — Third Team AVCA All-American, AVCA All-Pacific Region Honorable Mention, All-WCC Honorable Mention
Brittany Lowe — WCC Freshman of the Year, First Team All-WCC
Kim McGiven — First Team All-WCC
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