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SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Bronco volleyball takes a its last break from West Coast Conference action this season as they take on the Hornets of Sacramento State on Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. Santa Clara then returns home to the Leavey Center for a short three-match home stand beginning with Friday, Oct. 12's match against Saint Mary's. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Last Week for the Broncos
Santa Clara took the high road into last week's WCC action after posting two straight victories over Portland and Gonzaga to begin league play. The Broncos took their first winning streak since the start of the season to three contests as they upset the then-No. 14 Toreros of San Diego at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. Leading the match for SCU were Brittany Lowe and Lindsy Evans, who each posted 16 kills. Freshman Krista Kelley added 13 kills in the contest, while junior Nichole Clark led the match with seven total blocks. Santa Clara returned to the Bay Area with hopes of continuing their streak, but San Francisco had a different idea and handed the Broncos their first loss to the Dons in 17 years Saturday afternoon at the War Memorial Gym. USF topped SCU, 3-0, for the first time since 1989. In the match, Lowe and Kelley collected 10 kills each, while libero Caroline Walters tallied a match-high 18 digs.

After a solid weekend at the net for the Broncos, Lowe claims first place on the team in kills with 232 thus far. The outside hitter is also first on the team in service aces, dishing out 22. Sophomore Evans' kills total is now 228 and she leads Santa Clara with 41 total blocks (11 solo, 30 assists). Setter Crystal Match continues to lead the Broncos in both assists and hitting percentage. She has dished out 12.80 assists per game, while compiling a .348 hitting percentage. Meanwhile, libero Walters collected a total of 30 digs this weekend to bring her season total to 308.

Follow The Broncos Online
Every Santa Clara home game and most road games are covered live on the Internet via www.SantaClaraBroncos.com. All home games will also feature a live video broadcast as well.

SCU Hosts Dig For The Cure Fundraiser
The Santa Clara women's volleyball team will be one of many collegiate volleyball programs to participate in this year's "Dig for the Cure" program to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The Broncos have selected their home match against Loyola Marymount on Oct. 20 to host the nationwide event.

"This is a great event for college students to participate in," said head volleyball coach Jon Wallace. "It opens up their world and gives them a new perspective on life. They are also given the opportunity to help others with the sport that they love so much."

Fans can sponsor the Broncos by pledging money per dig recorded in the match that Saturday afternoon, or can make a flat donation. The money raised by the Santa Clara volleyball program goes directly to the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Fans can access more information about the event and how to sponsor their Broncos by visiting the volleyball homepage on SantaClaraBroncos.com.

"Breast cancer has become a major issue in our live today," said redshirt freshman Kim Courtney. "It is very important for young women to be supportive of this cause and I believe that hosting an event like `Dig For The Cure' will help being awareness to our campus and community. Hopefully this event will help make a difference in many lives."

SCU Back To Receiving Votes
After its 3-1 upset over then-No. 14 San Diego, Santa Clara returns to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) top 25 this week as the Broncos are once again receiving votes. SCU sits 11 spots out of the weekly rankings. The Toreros dropped to a No. 17 ranking this week, while fellow WCC member Pepperdine is also receiving votes.

Just Double Digits Left For Walters And Program History
Senior libero Walters is now just 97 digs away from setting a new program record for career digs. She began the season within striking distance of the record, with only 405 digs separating her and the current school record to 1,860 set by Lia Young (1990-93). Now Walters has 97 to go and has 11 more matches to do so in. If she registers at least nine digs in each of the remaining contests, the program record is in her hands.

Over the course of her three seasons at Santa Clara, Walters has compiled a career total of 1,692 digs and earned two All-WCC honors. Be sure to continue to check www.SantaClaraBroncos.com for updates as Walters closes in on making school history.

Broncos In The Record Books
Senior Matich joined Walters this week in the Broncos' single season leaders list. The setter has compiled a .348 hitting percentage this season, while places her seventh on the list. Matich continues to hold onto the No. 10 spot in the single season assists average list, dishing out 12.80 per game. Meanwhile, this season, Walters ranks second on the digs average list with 4.74 per game.

In the all-time career categories, junior Lowe claims the No. 7 spot on the all-time kills per game list, averaging 3.28 per game. The outside hitter also enters the career digs average list at No. 7, collecting 2.94 digs per game. Senior libero Walters continues to own the top spot in digs average with 4.67 per game and is second in digs overall. Matich entered new categories this season, as she ranks third in all-time hitting percentage (.332) and ninth in career service aces with 111. She also holds steady at No. 5 in career assists with 3,781 and climbs one spot to No. 3 in all-time assists average, dishing out 11.67 per game.

Santa Clara In The WCC
After splitting last weekend's matches, Santa Clara remains in second place in the West Coast Conference with a 3-1 league mark and an 11-8 overall record. The Broncos remains in third place in assists and service aces, while checking in at No. 4 in digs and kills.

Freshman Kelley holds onto the No. 6 spot with 3.77 kills per game. Evans and Lowe climb one spot to No. 7 and No. 8, respectively. Matich drops one spot to No. 3 in assists per game, while Walters holds onto No. 2 in the WCC in digs per game.

In conference games only, the Broncos are first in the WCC in assists (15.57), service aces (2.43) and opponent hitting percentage (.176). Santa Clara also checks in at No. 3 in hitting percentage (.222), kills (16.50) and digs (15.86).

Individually, Lauryn Dowd make a huge jump to No. 2 in hitting percentage (.393), while Evans keeps her No. 11 ranking (.280). In kills per game, Lowe checks in at No. 4 (4.21), while Evans is ranked 10th (3.64) and Kelley is 13th (3.43). Matich claims the No. 3 spot in assists per game (12.93) and Walters is No. 2 in digs per game. Kelley and Clark make their debuts in two new categories this week. Kelley rounds out the top 10 in aces per game, while Clark claims the No. 5 spot in blocks per game. She is the first Bronco to be ranked in that category this season.

Bronco Blogging
All year long, Bronco fans can receive an inside look at the volleyball team by checking in with Walters' blog on SantaClaraBroncos.com.

Walters will be posting a new entry each week to let fans know what is going on with the team and its players both on and off the field.

To read Walters' blog along with other Bronco sports blogs, click on the link on the right side of the SantaClaraBroncos.com homepage.

Scouting Sacramento State
The Hornets enter Tuesday's contest on an 11-match winning streak that began on Sept. 8 with a three-game sweep of Manhattan. Since then, Sacramento State has upset the then-No. 14 Cal Poly and, most recently, defeated Montana and Montana State in Big Sky action. Against Montana State, Lindsay Haupt recorded a match-high 13 kills and an impressive .550 hitting percentage (13-2-20). Haupt also posted a match-best six total blocks. The Hornets are currently receiving votes in the most recent AVCA/CSTV Top 25 Coaches Poll and are three spots out of the rankings.

Missie Stidham, who tallied 10 kills against Montana State, leads the Hornets as she averages 5.01 kills per game. She has also registered 33 service ace and a team best 4.31 digs per game. Haupt ranks second on Sacramento State's roster with a .387 hitting percentage (257-57-517) and leads the team with 98 total blocks (14 solo, 87 assists).

The Broncos and Hornets last met on Sept. 19, 2006, at the Leavey Center, where SCU served up a 3-1 victory. Santa Clara owns a 14-9 all-time series record against Sacramento State and has won the last eight meetings.

Scouting Saint Mary's
The Gaels travel to Santa Clara with a 10-6 overall record and a 2-2 WCC mark. In its last outing, Saint Mary's lost a hard-fought 3-2 match to then-No. 14 San Diego on Oct. 6. Freshman Megan York led the Gaels with 18 kills and 15 digs, while freshman Shannon Lowell chipped in with 12 kills and 10 total blocks.

Overall, outside hitter York has tallied a team-best 278 kills this season, while posting 48 total blocks and 18 service aces. Middle blocker Lowell is fourth on the team with 130 kills, but leads with 90 total blocks (five solo, 85 assists). Sophomore libero Alita Fisher has collected 4.47 digs per game and handed out a team-best 22 service aces. In the WCC, Saint Mary's is ranked fifth overall and is first in blocks and second in aces. Middle blocker Megan Burton is sixth in the conference in hitting percentage, while York checks in at No. 2 in kills per game. Burton and Lowell claim first and second place, respectively, in blocks per game.

Santa Clara and Saint Mary's last met on Oct. 28, 2006, where the Broncos edge the Gaels, 3-2 at the Leavey Center. Earlier in the year, the tables were turned as the Gaels earned the 3-2 victory. In the all-time series, SCU owns an impressive 44-9 record in the series that takes back to 1979.

On Deck
The Broncos continue with WCC action on Thursday, Oct. 18 against Pepperdine. First serve for the match, which will be featured on ESPNU, is scheduled for 8 p.m., at the Leavey Center. Later that weekend, Santa Clara hosts the nationwide Dig For The Cure Fundraiser against Loyola Marymount on Saturday, Oct. 20.