Volleyball Knocks Off Pacific in Four Sets

Match point celebration.
Match point celebration.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.Michelle Shaffer posted a double-double (13 kills/10 digs) and Allison Kantor registered 10 kills to help lead Santa Clara volleyball to a 25-21, 25-14, 22-25, 25-18 victory over Pacific on Thursday.

Taylor Odom and Anna McCreadie helped solidify the front line by each posting five total blocks, and Chloe Loreen chipped in a match-high 22 digs for the Broncos (6-15, 1-8) in their first West Coast Conference victory of the season.

Riley Ramsey tallied a match-high 14 kills and Hanne De Scrijver dished out a match-best 43 assists for the Tigers (7-13, 2-7) who only had eight players suit up and only seven take the court.

After extending the match by capturing the third set, Pacific had a solid start to the fourth before the Broncos forged into the lead, snapping an 8-all tie with an 8-2 run. Shaffer contributed a pair of kills and the Tigers made five errors in that flurry.

Pacific closed the deficit to 20-17, but Kathryn Decker, Odom and Kantor helped finish out the match with one kill each.

"It feels real good," head coach Jon Wallace said. "These girls have been working so hard for this.  The last couple of matches, we've been getting in our own way so it was really hard to get that win.  But they pushed through it tonight.  They looked very, very determined to make it happen for themselves and I'm really excited for them."

Santa Clara posted a .262 attack percentage in the match, including a blistering .542 in the second set which helped it race out to a 9-1 lead and never look back. Decker had four of her eight kills in the set and Shaffer also posted four.

The Broncos had to hang on in the opening set as the Tigers rallied from a nine-point deficit to pull within 23-21 on a service ace from De Scrijver. But two attack errors by Pacific ended the set, one in which it hit only .098.

Riley Patterson had a double-double 10 kills and 11 digs for the Tigers who hit .163 in the match.

The Broncos were helped by 14 service errors from Pacific.

NOTES

• Pacific leads the all-time series 28-10. The Broncos snapped a five-match losing streak in a series that dates back to 1975.

• Decker's eight kills were a career-high.

• Kantor had nine digs and just missed her third double-double of the season.

NEXT UP

Santa Clara conclude their four-match homestand on Saturday, facing Saint Mary's at 1 p.m.

THE GAELS

• Santa Clara is 51-24 against Saint Mary's in a series that dates back to 1979. 

• The home team has won five straight matches in the series.

• 2017: 10/21 SCU won 3-2 @ SCU | 11/21 SMC won 3-2 @ SMC 

• Santa Clara scored 46 points against Saint Mary's in the third set on Nov. 21 last season, the most in a single frame in NCAA history during the 25-point rally-scoring era (2008-present).

Saint Mary's is one of the top service teams in the country; the Gaels rank second in the WCC in aces/set (1.69 – 15th NCAA) and total aces (122 – 21st NCAA). Alexsa Parker leads the team and the WCC in aces (34) and aces/set (0.47); both marks are good for 19th in the NCAA entering the week.

The Gaels were picked to finish seventh of 10 teams in the 2018 WCC preseason poll. Saint Mary's went 9-19 overall and 5-13 in conference play last season to finish ninth in the WCC.

TICKETS

Single-game tickets are available. Click here to purchase online or contact the ticket office weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. at (408) 554-4660 or BroncoTickets@scu.edu. Group discounts are also available through our ticket office sales and service consultants. Doors to Leavey Center are open one hour prior to first serve. Pricing is subject to change.

PARKING

For weekday matches, the Leavey Center lot, located on Accolti Way off El Camino Real, is free beginning one hour prior to first serve. Any other parking facility on campus will be subject to normal daily rates or restrictions, including the main structure, located adjacent to Stevens Stadium on Palm Drive. During the weekend, campus parking facilities are free (except for permit required locations). Click here for a campus map and parking restrictions.

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GO BRONCOS!