Having four hitters score double digit kills, including Lacey Maas who hit .800, the Broncos took a 2-0 lead at Gonzaga and hung on to win the two and a half hour match, 3-2, in Spokane Thursday night. Set scores were 25-19, 28-26, 21-25, 22-25 and 15-12. The Broncos are 4-2 in five-set matches this season.
"It was a battle all night!" said Bronco head coach Jon Wallace. "In the fifth set we were down two and we used our last timeout. Coach Mansfield told them to be calm and play in the moment. And that seemed to be the trick - that really helped us a lot. It was neat to see the team grab a hold of their confidence and their execution and just play volleyball. This is a tough place to play and so we are really happy to come away with a win."
Santa Clara is 19-7, including 9-4 in the WCC. Gonzaga is 14-9, including 5-7 in the WCC. SCU got its revenge, after losing a five-set match in Santa Clara earlier this season.
The Broncos hit .225 with 67 kills (28 e, 173 att.). They collected 65 assists, six aces, 10 service errors, 56 digs and 11 team blocks.
Lacey Maas hit .800 with 12 kills (0 e, 15 att.). "Lacey came off the bench and gave us an incredible spark," said Wallace. "Gonzaga tends to scheme and they thought they could handle her one on one and they couldn't. She was the reason we won game two and she helped us so much down the stretch to win the match as well."
Taylor Milton scored 16 kills. Sabrina Clayton added 15 and Nikki Hess 14. Kirsten Mead had 59 assists and 16 digs. Hess had 11 digs and three block solos. Danielle Rottman added 14 digs.
The Zags hit .217 with 67 kills (31 e, 166 att.). They collected 45 assists, 12 aces, four service errors, 46 digs and six team blocks.
Jordan Glasser had 19 kills, Savannah Blinn added 18 and McKayla Ferris scored 16. Lauren Joseph had 54 assists and Morgan Douglass added 20 digs and seven assists.
Mead started off the match with an ace. The Broncos took a 5-3 lead on a kill by Milton. SCU kept its two point lead on an error by Gasser, 7-5. SCU scored three of the next four, including a kill by Clayton and error by Blinn, to take a 10-6 lead. Gonzaga scored three of the next four and then SCU matched them to do the same, taking a 14-10 lead on a kill by Edwards. Gonzaga pulled within one, 15-14, before SCU scored four of the next five to go up 19-15, including a kill by Clayton. After GU scored a couple, SCU called for time. The Broncos rallied out of the timeout to scored three of the next four to go up 22-18. Timeout Gonzaga. After Blinn smacked it out, Gonzaga called for timeout again, down 23-19. Hess scored back-to-back kills to finish off the set, 25-19.
The teams were tied up four times in the early going of the second set. The Zags took a 10-6 lead, scoring six of eight before Hess scored a kill. After Gonzaga went ahead 13-9, SCU called for time. The Zags scored two of the next three and went up 15-10. SCU then rallied to scored 10 straight. SCU scored two of the next three, including a block solo by Hess. GU scored three straight and then SCU called for time, leading 22-19. Hess scored back-to-back kills, but GU rallied to tie it up 24-24. GU scored two of the next three to grab set point, leading 26-25. Maas scored a kill to tie it up 26-26 and then Clayton added a kill and Maas and Clayton teamed up for a block to take the second set 28-26.
The third set started off with 10 ties. Gonzaga scored six of the next eight to take a 16-12 lead when SCU called for time. The teams traded points coming out of the timeout and then GU took a 17-13 lead. GU scored four of the next seven and went up 21-16. The Broncos rallied, but it wasn't enough and GU won the third set 25-21.
GU took an early 3-0 lead in the fourth set and SCU called for time. SCU scored two of the next three on two kills by Maas. Down 6-3, SCU scored twice to pull within one. But GU scored four of the next five to take a 10-6 lead. GU scored three of the next five, 13-8 Bulldogs. SCU five straight to tie it up 13-13. After a Bronco service error, Milton's kill tied it up 14-14. GU scored five of the next six and took a 19-15 lead. Edwards and Clayton scored between one by Kaylie Loewen, 20-17 GU. SCU scored three of the next five, but a kill by Glasser put the score at 23-20. Hess crushed it for a kill and then Edwards and Milton scored a block. GU called for time, leading 23-22. A kill by Loewen gave GU set point and Grasser finished the set with a kill, 25-22.
Milton and Clayton laced together back-to-back kills, Blinn hit it out and Clayton scored again as SCU started the final set on a 4-0 run. GU scored a couple before Clayton scored two straight and a block solo by Hess made it 7-2 SCU. After GU called for time, the Zags scored a couple, but Maas slammed it down in the middle for her 12th kill. GU scored six of seven to take a 10-9 lead. Timeout Santa Clara. GU scored another, but Edwards stopped the run with a kill on the slide. GiGi Cresto aced the ball to tie it up at 11, but then served it into the net. A Hess kill tied it up 12-12. A kill by Clayton, a team block by Clayton and Edwards and Milton's 16th kill of the night gave SCU a 15-12 final set victory!
