Sept. 19, 2003
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Sophomore Cassie Perret posted a career-high 22 kills Friday morning to lead the 17th-ranked Santa Clara University volleyball team to a 3-1 victory over Duke in the morning session of the South Carolina Gamecock Invitational.
The win for the Broncos pushed their record to 7-4 on the season while dropping Duke to 4-6. It also marked the second win for SCU at the Gamecock Invitational, as the Broncos defeated South Carolina on its home floor by a 3-2 score Thursday evening to open up play in the tournament.
Perret added 10 digs to her career-high mark in kills, while senior captain Becky Potter posted 16 kills to go along with 11 digs. Sophomore Lexie Bothman posted a match-high 18 digs, tying her career-high in digs that was set just one night earlier in the Broncos' victory over South Carolina. Senior setter Kelli Sousa directed the offense with her 53 assists while sophomore Kim McGiven chipped in 13 kills in the win.
Tealle Bunkus led the Blue Devils with her 15 kills while Krista Dill and Tassy Rufai contributed 12 and 10 kills, respectively. Laura Murphy led a quartet of Duke players in double-digit digs with her 16.
Duke will play South Carolina at 5 p.m. in the evening session, which will be preceded by the Broncos' match with George Washington at 2 p.m. Pacific time. The Colonials are currently playing South Carolina in the second match of the morning session and enter the invitational with a perfect 9-0 record.
The two wins thus far in the Gamecock Invitational as especially big for the Broncos who played their second straight match without the services of Toni Muratore who has split time in the middle and on the outside for SCU this season. Muratore is currently nursing an injury to her abdominal muscles that will only heal with time and rest. The weekend off gives her both of those as the Broncos head into a big match next Sunday at home against No. 2 Hawaii.
