Oct. 20, 2004
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This Week
Santa Clara returns home for two keys matches of the West Coast Conference season. On Friday, The Broncos host Loyola Marymount at 7 p.m. at the Leavey Center. The Lions are 13-5 overall, boast a 4-1 league mark and are amid a five-match win streak. Santa Clara will follow with a Sunday afternoon (3 p.m.) match against defending league champion Pepperdine. The Waves are currently 5-9 overall and 3-2 in WCC action.
CSTV to Televise Pepperdine Match
College Sports Television, the first 24-hour college sports television network, will televise the Broncos' Sunday, October 24 match against Pepperdine at the Leavey Center. First serve for the live broadcast is set for 3 p.m. The CSTV Sunday Night Spikes telecasts, featuring teams from 12 different conferences, will showcase some of the top players in pursuit of a national title. Carter Blackburn will handle play-by-play, while Heather Cox will take on analyst duties. A feature story on the Muratore sisters will air during intermission.
College Sports TV, the fastest-growing independent cable network, is available to more than 20 million homes nationally on cable and satellite. The network is available on Comcast, Time Warner and Adelphia cable systems, among others, and is also available on DirecTV (channel 610). For information on CSTV availability in particular markets, consumers can log on to www.collegesports.com/getcstv or call their cable or satellite operator.
Building a Wall
Santa Clara is currently ranked fourth in the nation in blocks per game, boasting a 3.47 average. Freshman Annalisa Muratore leads the team with a 1.77 mark, which ranks sixth in the nation. Fellow newcomer Anna Cmaylo is right behind her with a 1.24 average. Junior Cassie Perret is third on the team, averaging 1.16 blocks per game.
In Other National Stats
Santa Clara is currently ranked fourth in the nation in blocks per game (3.47) and 30th in assists per game (14.87). Individually, freshman Annalisa Muratore is also ranked 11th nationally in hitting percentage, boasting a .401 clip.
Fab Freshman Class
Santa Clara recruited the ninth-best class in the country, according to PrepVolleyball.com in its annual rankings released in May. Nebraska received the website's top nod, followed by Florida, USC, Ohio State and Washington in the top five. Michigan, Wisconsin and Hawaii were listed ahead of the Broncos, while Kansas rounded out the top 10. West Coast Conference opponents Pepperdine and San Diego were ranked Nos. 24 and 25, respectively.
Four newcomers have made an immediate impact on the program. Middle blocker Annalisa Muratore and Anna Cmaylo, and Libero Caroline Walters are starters, while Crystal Matich splits time at setter.
Live Video Streaming Available on the Internet
Santa Clara and CollegeSports.com are combining to expand live coverage of Bronco sports this season with the addition of live streaming video feeds of most of the school's home athletic events, beginning with volleyball's match against Sacramento State. A part of College Sports Pass, a subscription-based service provided by RealNetworks, the live video feeds will be available on Santa Clara's official athletic website at SantaClaraBroncos.com, as well as collegesports.com and real.com. The school will also continue to provide live statistical coverage of at least six sports through the popular Gametracker feature.
Santa Clara remains on the cutting edge of technology, as it provides Bronco fans with some of the most comprehensive live web coverage of any school in the country for the past several years. By logging on, fans can now watch the games and view real-time statistics direct from the official scoring computer, all right from the convenience of a home computer.
In the Rankings
Santa Clara fell four spots in this week's USA Today/CSTV Top 25 Coaches Poll, as selected by the AVCA. The Broncos opened the 2004 season ranked 22nd and received 271 points in the listing. Seven of Santa Clara's opponents are also ranked. The Broncos have already faced No. 3 UCLA, 11th-ranked Hawaii and No. 12 California. Also on the schedule are non-conference opponent No. 11 Stanford and WCC rivals Saint Mary's and San Diego. Santa Clara entered Volleyball Magazine's poll four weeks ago and is No. 18 as of last week's listing.
In the WCC Statistics
Santa Clara leads the West Coast Conference in two categories: blocks (3.48 pg) and opponent hitting percentage (.164). The Broncos are second in kills (16.13 pg) and assists (14.87 pg), while ranking third in hitting percentage (.237), and fifth in digs (16.15 pg) and service aces (1.31 pg). Individually, Annalisa Muratore leads the league in hitting percentage (.401) and (1.77 pg), and is ninth in kills (3.34 pg). Additionally, Caroline Walters is third in digs (4.57 pg) and Anna Cmaylo is fifth in blocks (1.24 pg).
Super Sisters
Middle blocker Annalisa Muratore is the first freshman to be named WCC Player of the Week since her sister, junior outside hitter Toni Muratore, earned the honor on October 15, 2001. As a tandem on the court, the Muratores have combined for 395 kills, 40 percent of Bronco totals. Defensively, the pair have tallied 164 blocks, or 43 percent of SCU's production.
A Look Ahead: Broncos Remain in Conference Action
Santa Clara will open the second half of conference play on the road, visiting the Northwest schools. The Broncos will face Portland on Friday and Gonzaga on Saturday. Both matches have 7 p.m. starts at their respective venues.
Match Tickets on Sale
Individual match tickets for Santa Clara University's nationally-recognized volleyball team are on sale through the Department of Athletics' official website SantaClaraBroncos.com, and the ticket office at 408-554-4660, between the hours of 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
In conjunction with its exclusive Internet partner, College Sports Online, the athletic department has developed an online ticket application that provides fans with the ability to purchase family plans, individual matches or an all-sports pass via the website. A family plan provides a family of five admission to each match for the low price of $100. Single matches are priced at $7 for adult reserved, $5 for adult general admission, $3 for youths and seniors and $2 for SCU students as well Bronco Kidz members. Single match team passes are also available for $30
