Oct. 11, 2008
SPOKANE, Wash. - The Santa Clara volleyball team remained undefeated in West Coast Conference play this weekend with a 3-0 sweep of Gonzaga University. The final set scores were 25-23, 25-19, 25-19. With the win, the No. 20 Broncos improved to 12-3 on the season and 4-0 in WCC action, while the Bulldogs dropped to 6-13 overall and 0-4 in league play.
Senior outside hitter Brittany Lowe led the team with 14 kills, while sophomore Krista Kelley recorded 11 kills. Sophomore Kim Courtney tallied a match-high two aces, while senior libero Taylor O'Brien collected a match-high 11 digs. Freshman Tanya Schmidt led the Broncos attack with a 63.6 hitting percentage (7-0-11).
Gonzaga grabbed the first three points of the match, but Lowe stopped the Bulldogs run with a kill off a set from O'Brien. The Broncos then rallied to knot the score, 5-5, on a block by Lindsy Davigeadono and Schmidt. However, Gonzaga regains control of the scoreboard. The Zags climbed to a seven-point lead, 16-9, on a kill by Michelle Boevers. Santa Clara used their second timeout of the set after Gonzaga reached 19-points, 19-14, to regroup. Coming out of the timeout, Kelley slammed the ball down to get the Broncos rolling. Santa Clara then pulled itself within one-point on an ace by O'Brien, 22-21, and then tied the score, 22-22, on a kill by Nina Sevastopoulos. Santa Clara reached set-point, 24-22, on a kill by Lowe and went on to win the set, 25-23, on a block by Sevastopoulos and Anna Cmaylo.
Santa Clara took an early lead in the second set and never relinquished control of the scoreboard. The Broncos created a seven-point advantage, 10-3, on a kill by Schmidt; yet, the Bulldogs were fighting hard to tie the score. Back-to-back aces from Courtney gave SCU an eight-point edge, 22-14, and forced Gonzaga to call a timeout. Out of the timeout, the Zags posted a 4-1 run, 23-18, to make Bronco head coach Jon Wallace call SCU's only timeout of the set. Cmaylo responded out of the break with a kill to bring SCU to set-point, and a kill by Lowe gave the Broncos a 25-19 victory
Set three was quick similar to set four with the Broncos holding onto the lead the entire time. However, this time around the Bulldogs kept the score much tighter. After Gonzaga came within two-points, 10-8, Santa Clara compiled a 4-0 run on points from Schmidt, O'Brien, Lowe, Cmaylo and Sevastopoulos. The Broncos led 14-8. SCU reached match-point on a Gonzaga attacking error, 24-19, and a kill by Cmaylo gave Santa Clara its seventh sweep of the season, 25-19.
For the Zags, Elaina Renius posted six total blocks, while Michelle Boevers led the match with 16 kills.
The Broncos return to the Mission Campus for a nationally-televised match against their 2007 WCC Co-Champions the Toreros of No. 15 San Diego. First serve is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16 on ESPNU. Santa Clara then hosts USF on Saturday, Oct. 18 in the national Dig For a Cure Fundraiser. Match time is scheduled for 1 p.m.
