Aug. 26, 2003

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The 14th-ranked Santa Clara University women's volleyball team will begin its 2003 campaign with a pair of road games against the University of the Pacific and San Jose State University. Friday night's season opener at Pacific will begin at 7 p.m. in the Spanos Center, as will the Saturday night contest against the Spartans in the Event Center.

Friday night's match at Pacific will be the 22nd time the two schools have met since 1975. In that time span the Broncos have managed only four wins, two of which have come during the Jon Wallace era. Since he began coaching at Santa Clara in 1999, the Broncos have posted a 2-1 record against the Tigers, including a 3-0 win in 2000 and a 3-1 win in 2001. Wallace's only loss to UOP came in his first year in 1999.

Following Friday night's opener, the Broncos will take on cross-town rival San Jose State in the first match of the second year of the Rivalry Series between the two schools. SCU won the inaugural Rivalry Series trophy in 2002-2003 by a score of 20-10 which included three points from the Bronco volleyball team when they posted a 3-2 victory over the Spartans in the Leavey Center last September.

Santa Clara enters the 2003 season with the No. 14 national ranking in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches' Preseason Poll, its highest ever preseason ranking in school history. Loaded with 11 returning letterwinners, the Broncos are positioned for one of their most successful seasons in school history.

Standing in the way is a formidable schedule that includes matches against eight teams ranked in the top-25, including four matches against teams currently ranked in the top-five. Following this weekend's matches, the Broncos continue on the road with four matches next weekend in Tucson, Arizona as SCU participates in the Wildcat Classic hosted by the University of Arizona. In that tournament the Broncos will take on No. 10 Arizona, Rhode Island, San Diego State and Miami.