Sept. 4, 2003
TUCSON, Ariz. - The 20th-ranked Santa Clara University women's volleyball team upset 10th-ranked Arizona Thursday night by a score of 3-1 at the McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz. The win moves the Broncos' record to 2-1 on the season while dropping the Wildcats to 2-3 on the year.
"Tonight our best players really stepped up and led the way," said Santa Clara head coach Jon Wallace. "Becky Potter, Toni Muratore and Kelli Sousa all showed great leadership by example, not only in what the statistics show, but how to get through the tough points needed to win a close match."
Potter posted 20 kills and a .410 hitting percentage and was closely followed by Muratore's 15 kills and .444 percentage. Sousa had 54 assists and eight digs, but all four of her kills came at opportune times that gave Santa Clara an edge.
Sophomore Cassie Perret also played a key role in the Broncos' victory. After posting a negative hitting percentage through the first three games, she helped SCU rally from a five point deficit with a five kill performance in game four that moved her percentage into the positive numbers and secured the Bronco win.
Defensively Jac Heler was a steady force for Wallace's squad, posting a match-high 12 digs to go along with her nine kills and .304 hitting percentage. Potter's nine digs were the next highest on the team.
Arizona's offense played well enough to win, but 17 service errors led to their demise. Kim Glass registered a match-high 22 kills, followed by Jennifer Abernathy's 18 and Bre Ladd's 17. Jolene Killugh and Kristina Baum each added 11 kills while Stephanie Butkus and Kelli Mulvany led the Wildcat defense with 11 digs apiece.
Santa Clara continues play in the Wildcat Invitational on Friday with a pair of matches against Rhode Island in the morning and San Diego State in the afternoon. The Broncos will then conclude tournament play with a morning match against Miami on Saturday.
