Check out highlights from the match!
Firing on all cylinders Saturday, the Broncos finished off their non-conference schedule with a 3-0 win over Cal Poly Game scores were 25-16, 25-14 and 25-23 Santa Clara is 5-4 and Cal Poly moves to 4-5. Santa Clara opens WCC play next weekend at Pepperdine on Thursday and LMU on Saturday.
Santa Clara hit .340 with 46 kills (11 e, 103 att.). The Broncos collected 43 assists, four service aces, nice service errors, 40 digs and two team blocks. Cal Poly hit .157 with 30 kills (16 e, 89 att.). The Mustangs collected 29 assists, zero service aces, six service errors, 37 digs and four team blocks.
"We are 5-4 with this being our last non-conference match," said Bronco head coach Jon Wallace. "I think we have been tested a lot on the road by very good teams. I do think we are ready for conference play. This group of girls are learning a lot every time out. Our trip to Hawaii and playing at Cal has matured them quickly. We are ready for conference."
Santa Clara was led individually by three players with double digit kills. Nikki Hess hit .478 with 12 kills (1 e, 23 att.). Megan Anders hit .385 with 12 kills (2 e, 26 att.). Sabrina Clayton scored 10 kills, hitting .400 (2 e, 20 att). Alyssa Anderson scored 37 assists with eight digs. Danielle Rottman scored a team-high 10 digs. Mary Shepherd led the team with three aces.
"Sabrina, Nikki and Taylor played really well again today," added Wallace.
Chelsea Hardin collected 11 kills for the Mustangs and Jennifer Keddy had five, hitting .133. Kate Walters led the Mustangs in digs with nine.
Clayton's kill off the overpass got SCU on the board first. After a Bronco hitting error, Anders crushed in the back row for a sideout. Milton's kill on the slide tied it up 3-3. After Cal Poly was called in the net, Anderson's dump and a kill by Hess down the line put SCU up 7-4. Timeout Mustangs. The team's traded points before Hess scored cross court and Milton's kill whizzed off the arms of a Mustang for a 10-6 lead. After an ace by Mary Shepherd, Cal Poly was called in the net and Anders kill in the back row gave SCU a point. Another Shepherd ace and the Mustangs whistled for time again, down 14-6. Chelea Hardin smacked it into the tape for an error and Keddy didn't go up high enough on a set to give the Broncos a 16-6 lead.
After SCU was called in the net, Hess scored off the team block for a sideout. Kate Walters served it into the net after two Bronco hitting errors, 18-9 SCU. The teams traded points before Milton tipped it over for a kill and then the Mustangs smacked it out, 21-10 Broncos. Cameron's block solo and two Mustang errors gave SCU set point, 24-11. The Mustang's scored three straight, including a solo block by Keddy before Hess scored off a team block, 25-14. SCU hit .242 with 13 kills (5 e, 33 att.). Cal Poly hit .000 with 7 kills (7 e, 27 att.).
The Broncos scored five of six points to open the second set, including a block solo by Anders and then a booming kills by her as well. After the Mustangs picked up a kill, Anders returned the favor in the middle, sideout Broncos. Cameron's kill in the middle put SCU up 7-2 – timeout Mustangs. After the timeout, Cal Poly scored five of seven, 10-7 Broncos. Anders and Milton smacked balls down in the back row between a Mustang kill, 12-8 SCU. The teams traded points before Cal Poly hit it out, 14-9 Broncos. Trading points, Milton hit it cross court for the termination. Back-to-back kills by Hess and Clayton made it 17-11. Shepherd's third ace of the day put SCU up 19-12. Timeout Cal Poly. SCU scored four of the next five to go up 23-13, including an ace by Anderson. Milton's kill off the team block gave SCU set point. Hess crushed it back court to give SCU the second set 25-14. SCU hit .500 with 17 kills (2 e, 30 att.). Cal Poly hit .125 with 7 kills (4 e, 24 att.).
The teams played back and forth in the first set with a number of ties. The Broncos went up 11-9 before Clayton smacked it way out. Cal Poly scored four straight to jump ahead 13-11. Timeout Broncos. The teams traded points twice before Cal Poly served it into the next up 15-14. The Broncos tied it up on an error by Cal Poly. Hess split two defenders to give the Broncos the lead 16-15. Cal Poly scored two of three to tie it up 17-17. A kill by Clayton down the line sparked the Broncos. Cal Poly scored two of three to jump ahead 19-18. Anders kill smacked off the arms of a Mustang defender for a sideout. Hess sandwiched two kills between a Mustang ball handling error to go up 23-22. Timeout Mustangs. After the Broncos were called in the next, Hess smacked a rocket down on the hardwood. A long rally ended on a kill by Gruenewald, 24-23 Broncos. A Hess kill ended the match, 25-23.
