Sept. 5, 2008
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Led by Brittany Lowe's match-high 14 kills and Nina Sevastopoulos' 11 kills, the Santa Clara volleyball team registered its first sweep of the season over Texas Tech. The final set scores were 25-22, 25-13, 25-21. The Broncos continue action at the Sheraton Four Points Arizona Invitational Friday night against the Wildcats of Arizona. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Junior Lindsy Davigeadono dished out a match-high 34 assists, while senior Taylor O'Brien collected 10 digs. Both freshman Libby Morrison and Lowe tallied three aces each, and Anny Cmaylo posted four total blocks. As a team, the Broncos out-hit the Red Raiders 39.1 to 22.0 percent and out-blocked their opponent 7.0 to 5.0.
The Broncos started off slow in the first set, watching the Red Raiders climb to an 8-4 lead. But after a timeout called by SCU, the squad began to chip away at the lead and with a kill from Cmaylo, Santa Clara knotted the score, 14-14. The Broncos jumped to a three-point edge, 19-16, on kills by Sevastopoulos, Lowe and freshman Dana Knudsen. However, Texas Tech rallied back to tie the score, 19-19 on a kill by Amanda Dowdy. The Broncos regained control with a block by Tanya Schmidt and Lowe, but the score was tied again at 22 points each. SCU earned the one-point advantage on a kill by Cmaylo and an ace from Morrison brought the set to 24-25. A kill by Cmaylo off a set from Davigeadono brought the set to a close, 25-22.
Although the Red Raiders opened the second set with two quick points, the Broncos grabbed the advantage after a 3-3 tie and never looked back. A 6-0 run served by Cmaylo and fueled by points from Sevastopoulos, Davigeadono and Knudsen gave Santa Clara a 17-5 control of the set. The Broncos quickly won, 25-13, with an ace from Lowe.
The third and final set saw both teams go head-to-head trying to gain control of the scoreboard. The set was tied four times before the Broncos were able to breakaway from the Red Raiders with a 5-1 run to make the score, 15-10. Santa Clara remained on top for the remainder of the set, taking a six-point advantage on a kill by Sevastopoulos, 21-15. SCU reached match point on a kill by Lowe, but was halted by late Texas Tech run. Back-to-back kills by Hayley Ball brought Texas Tech within three points but after a timeout by the Broncos, a kill by Lowe ended the match, 25-21.
After taking on host Arizona Friday night, Santa Clara faces Texas State on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 10 a.m.
