SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Santa Clara beach volleyball begins play at the two-day West Coast Conference Championship on Friday. The seventh-seeded Broncos face second-seeded Loyola Marymount at 10:30 a.m. in Santa Monica, California.
SCU will play twice on Friday in the double-elimination event hosted at Ocean Park Beach. The Broncos take to the sand for the second time at noon if they defeat the Lions or 1:30 p.m. if they lose to the Lions. They will face either sixth-seeded Portland or third-seeded Saint Mary's, who also square off at 10:30 a.m.
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THE BRONCOS
Santa Clara (1-11, 0-7 WCC) has lost seven matches in a row, including four against West Coast Conference opposition. Michelle Gajdka/Erin Reineking lead the Broncos with five dual wins, including a 5-4 record at No. 5.
SCU did not face Loyola Marymount nor Portland in the regular season. The Broncos lost three matches and 14 of 15 duals against the Gaels.
NO. 15 LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
The Lions (19-12, 2-1 WCC) played 11 of their 31 matches against ranked opponents and came away with three wins in those contests. Sarah Kovac/Jessie Prichard led the team with an 18-11 dual record, including a 13-11 mark at the No. 2 spot.
NO. 20 SAINT MARY'S
The Gaels (14-10, 7-3 WCC) won all seven matches against teams that ended up as lower seeds in the conference championship. Morgan Hughes/Payton Rund went 17-7 overall and 12-6 at the No. 1 position. As a team, Saint Mary's finished .500 or better in all five positions.
PORTLAND
The Pilots (2-6) played only eight matches in the regular season and did not face a conference opponent. Portland scored wins over Sacramento State (3-2 on March 10) and Oregon (4-1 on March 24).