Sept. 19, 2003
COLUMBIA, S.C. - The 17th-ranked Santa Clara University volleyball team captured the Gamecock Invitational Championship with its 3-0 victory over previously unbeaten George Washington Friday afternoon on the South Carolina campus. With the win the Broncos move to 8-4 on the season while the Colonials fall to 10-1.
SCU defeated the host, South Carolina, in the first match of the tournament on Thursday evening, defeating the Gamecocks by a 3-2 score. The Broncos then defeated Duke by a 3-1 score on Friday morning before wrapping up the Gamecock Invite with a 3-0 record, following their sweep of GW.
Like the morning match, Cassie Perret led the Bronco offense, posting a match-high 15 kills in the victory. Becky Potter notched her eighth double-double in only 12 matches this season with her 12 kills and 10 digs. Potter also added six block assists and one solo block in the sweep.
Kim McGiven chipped in with eight kills while freshman Nora Miller registered a career-high five kills on only seven attempts. Setter Kelli Sousa played her steady as usual game, dishing out 36 assists while coming up with eight digs, four service aces and three block assists.
As a team the Broncos recorded a .308 hitting percentage, compared to a .045 percentage from George Washington. The 12 total team blocks from Santa Clara added to the hitting woes of the Colonials as Sara Hokom was the only GW player in double-digit kills with 11.
With the win, Jon Wallace becomes the second most winningest coach in SCU volleyball history with 99 victories. Mary Ellen Murchison coached for 11 seasons and posted 162 wins with 182 defeats from 1978-88. Wallace has accumulated his wins against only 37 defeats in less than five full years at the helm of the program.
The Broncos will attempt to give Wallace his 100th win next Sunday in their home opener against No. 2 Hawaii. The match on the 28th of September is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and will be televised live on College Sports Television as part of their AVCA Sunday Night Spike Package. CSTV is a 24-hour college sports network that is available only to Direct TV customers and can be found on channel 610.
