Santa Clara vs. USF Photo Gallery

Playing long-time Bay Area rival USF, Santa Clara had four hitters with double-digit kills in its 3-1 win over the Dons on Saturday afternoon in the Leavey Center.  Set scores were 26-24, 20-25, 25-19 and 25-16.  Santa Clara is 9-11 and 4-5 and USF is 13-9 and 5-4 in the WCC 

Santa Clara plays BYU at 1 pm on Sat., Oct. 29 in the Leavey Center.

"The girls are committed to playing a certain way right now and it's paid off. They are committed to playing together, playing aggressive and they want to win every point defensively," said Bronco head coach Jon Wallace.  What about the balanced attack with four hitters scoring double-digit kills? "Now that we are running the 5-1 Alyssa needs to set a more balanced attack and she is able to do that.  I thought our passers did a great job and we were able to have a three-option set and really get Megan and Dana involved in the offense today.  Bridget and Katy made a lot of plays defensively for us. It's neat having both Presentation (High School) girls out there digging balls."

"I loved having the band here, the cheerleaders, etc. One of our former players, Katie Borden, did a really good job getting students here and fired up for the Dig Pink and I loved the pink hair.  I thought there was really good energy in there and I hope they come out for BYU next Saturday," added Wallace.

Santa Clara hit .264 with 60 kills (21 e, 148 att.). They collected 73 digs, 57 assists, one service ace, six service errors and 12.0 team blocks.  USF hit .151 with 48 kills (25 e, 152 att.). They collected 52 digs, 45 assists, six service aces, nine service error sand eight team blocks. 

Individually Dana Knudsen led the Broncos with 16 kills, hitting .481.  Megan Anders had 10 kills, hitting .429 with two block solos and four block assists.  Katherine Douglas and Kayla Lommori collected 12 kills each.  Douglas and Durket had 12 digs each and Bridget O'Hara scored a match-high 24 digs.  Alyssa Anderson had 53 assists and collected her first Bronco block solo and four block assists.

For the Dons Malina Terrell was the lone USF player with double digit kills with 16, hitting .609.  Alycia Cox and Rebecca Kopilovitch had 14 digs each.  Joan Caloiaro had 43 assists and six digs.

SCU won the first set 26-24 after being down 19-13.  A kill by Anders started the first set and another Anders kills put SCU up 3-1.  USF took a 4-3 lead on a cross court rally.  Anders third kill of the match made it 6-5 USF.  A kill by Strkova and an ace by Caloiaro made it 10-6 USF.  Two USF errors and a kill by Knudsen off the block brought SCU within one.  The teams traded points with a thunderous kill by Knudsen.  Down 14-10 Santa Clara whistled for its first timeout.  USF went up 17-12 when SCU was called for being in the net.  SCU scored four of the next six points to pull within three, 19-16 USF. Timeout Dons.  Durket, Knudsen and Lommori crushed three straight kills to pull SCU within one.  A team block by Knudsen and Anderson teamed up to block a USF ball and the teams were tied 20-20. A kill by Lommori put SCU up 21-20.  A Bronco attack error made it 21-21 and a kill by Knudsen gave SCU a 22-21 lead.  USF scored a kill and a service ace to go up 23-22. Timeout Santa Clara.  Lommori's kill tied it up but USF matched it, 24-23 Dons.  A kill by Anders to the back row tied it up 24-24.  A block solo by Douglas was huge to put SCU up 25-24. Timeout USF.  Douglas knocked a big kill off the block after a terrific serve by Katy Shatzman to give the Broncos a 26-24 set one win.  SCU hit .366 with 20 kills (5e, 41 att.).  USF hit .222 with 15 kills (5e, 45 att.).  Lommori scored five kills as did Anders.  Levig and Anja Segota both had four kills for USF.

USF won set two 25-20.  USF took a 5-2 early set two lead before Douglas broke between the block to sideout.  Trading points Douglas' kill down the line brought SCU within one.  USF scored three straight to go up 10-6. Timeout Santa Clara.  After a long rally Douglas made a smart swat to the back row to sideout.  After USF scored Lommori came back with a cross court kill.  Trading sideouts, a team block by Durket and Anders put SCU within two, 12-10 USF.  USF scored three of the next four to go up 15-13.  USF scored four of the next five to go up 19-14.  Knudsen's eighth kill bounced off the block.  USF added three more before a service error and led 22-16.  Lommori knocked it spinning across the net and to the floor for a kill.  A Dons service error and a kill by Anders and it was 24-20 Dons.  SCU was called in the net to give USF a 25-20 set two win.  SCU hit .235 with 13 kills (5 e, 34 att.).  USF hit .324 with 14 kills (3 e, 34 att.).

Santa Clara won the third set 25-19.   The teams tied it up four times in the early going.  Knudsen's kill off the block and Durket's ace gave SCU a two-point lead.  After the Dons got a sideout, Knudsen crushed it.  A kill by Malina Terrell followed one by Knudsen, 8-6 Broncos.  Anders quick reaction resulted in a kill in the middle and then a team block by Anders and Anderson put SCU up 10-6.  After two USF points, a block solo by Anderson, her first with the Broncos, made it 11-8 SCU.  USF scored three of the next four to pull within one.  A kill by Anders through the block put SCU back by up two.  Knudsen also scored a sideout with a kill.  Douglas punched the ball down the floor and then Knudsen swung for money cross court.  With SCU up 16-12, USF called for time. Trading errors, another sweet Shatzman serve resulted in a Knudsen kill.  Alycia Cox hit it into the Bronco team block of Anderson and Knudsen and then Knudsen crushed it again to put SCU up 20-13.  Timeout Dons.  Terrell pushed the ball over the net for a kill, her 14^th of the match.  Durket's kill to the back row put SCU up 21-14.  USF scored three straight out of the Dons timeout and then called SCU whistled for time up 21-17.  SCU scored two, including an Anders kill.  Levig's kill split the Bronco block.  Trading points, Levig hit the ball in the net to give SCU a 25-19 set three win.  SCU hit .343 with 15 kills (3 e, 35 att.).  USF hit .121 with 11 kills (7e, 33 att.).  Terrell had five kills for USF and Knudsen had five for the Broncos. 

Santa Clara won the fourth set 25-16.  A Dons ball handling error and team block by Anders and Douglas put SCU up 2-0.  A USF sideout resulted in a USF service error.  A block solo by Anders and a USF hitting error made it 5-1 SCU.  The kill by Anders bounced in front of Strakova.  A kill by Durket in the back row, a team block by Douglas and Knudsen and another by Douglas put SCU up 9-3.   After a kill by USF, Anderson dumped the ball in the middle for the sideout.  A setting error by Caloiaro and then a kill by Anderson put SCU up 12-5.   The two traded hitting errors before Strakova hit the ball off the block to score.  Another USF hitting error and a team block by Anders and Douglas made it 15-7 Broncos.  Timeout Dons.  Anders stepped up huge and picked up her second block solo of the net.  SCU went up 11 on a kill by Douglas in the back row.  After two USF points, a kill by Anders gave SCU the sideout up 19-9.  A Douglas kill off the block and another cross-court by Knudsen put SCU up 21-9.  USF scored three of the next four before the Dons service error.  Terrell's 16^th kill of the match resulted in a Dons sideout.  Knudsen's cross court kill put SCU within one of winning the set.  USF scored three.  Lommori crushed the ball in the back row to win set four 25-16.  SCU hit .105 with 12 kills (8 e, 38 att.).  USF hit -.050 with eight kills (10e, 40 att.).