Santa Clara lost in three at No. 18 San Diego on Thursday night as USD stayed undefeated in WCC play with an 11-0 record. Game scores were 25-21, 25-14 and 25-8. The Broncos played without starter Kayla Lommori who is second on the team with 3.16 kpg. Lommori suffered an ankle sprain while warming up and is expected to be out the rest of the season.
"San Diego is a really good team. They really have it going well with those seniors and they do a really good job," said Bronco head coach Jon Wallace. "You have to be on against San Diego and the more you play them, as the match progresses they start really grinding it out on you, and we aren't there yet. We tried to get the ball to Dana and Tanya as much as we could with Kayla going down in warm-ups. It was tough with Kayla most likely lost for the season. I thought we played really hard."
Santa Clara hit .004 with 24 kills (20 e, 101 att.). Santa Clara collected 33 digs and 23 assists. San Diego hit .352 with 50 kills (13 e, 105 att.). San Diego collected 49 digs, 46 assists and two service aces.
Individually the Broncos were led by Tanya Schmidt's nine kills (3 e, 23 att.). Dana Knudsen collected seven kills (4 e, 15 att.). Alexandra Palmer had 12 assists and Emily Burke had nine. Lexi Williamson collected 11 digs.
Durket started the first set with a kill, but USD followed with two of its own kills before Durket knocked down another kill to tie it up 2-2. The teams tied it up twice more, including a kill by Schmidt. USD scored three straight on two kills and a Bronco attack error before Knudsen stopped the rally with a back-row kill to make it 7-5 USD. A block solo by Megan Anders was followed by a kill by USD as the Toreros went up 10-6. Schmidt's kill and a Bronco team block tied it up at 12-12. USD scored three straight when Wallace whistled for a timeout, with USD up 15-12. USD continued its steady play, taking a 21-15 lead on three straight kills. Schmidt's kill halted the rally, but USD scored two more to take a 23-17 lead. Timeout Santa Clara. A team block by Knudsen and Durket was followed by another team block by Knudsen and Durket and a kill by Knudsen. A team block by Durket and Knudsen made it 23-21 USD. Amy DeGroot stopped the Broncos four-point rally with a kill and then an attack error by Durket gave USD set one 25-21. SCU hit .128 with 11 kills (6 e, 39 att.). USD hit .182 with 16 kills (8 e, 44 att.).
In set two, USD jumped out to a 6-1 lead on five kills when SCU whistled for a timeout. USD went up 10-4 on kills and Bronco errors. SCU scored two straight on kills by Schmidt and O'Hara but an Ali Rambis service error gave USD the ball back, up 11-6. A kill by Schmidt and attack error by DeGroot, SCU scratched within four, 12-8 USD. USD scored three times on two kills and a Bronco attack error, 15-8 USD. USD scored three of the next four points to take an 18-9 lead. Timeout Broncos. USD scored two of the next three points. Back-to-back kills by Knudsen and Burke made it 23-14 USD. DeGroot's kill followed by Katie Hoekman's own gave USD set two, 25-14. Santa Clara hit .097 with nine kills (6 e, 31 att.). USD hit .484 with 18 kills (3 e, 31 att.).
In set three, after falling behind 10-3, Santa Clara whistled for a timeout. USD had eight kills and no errors up to this point. USD scored two straight block solos and then a kill to take a 13-3 lead. Knudsen's kill make it 15-4 USD. A kill by Shelby Staab made it 17-5 USD. USD scored two of the next three points to take a 19-6 lead. Schmidt's kill and an attack error by DeGroot made it 19-8. USD scored six straight points to win set three 25-8. Santa Clara hit -.129 with four kills (8 e, 31 att.). USD hit .467 with 16 kills (2 e, 30 att.).
