SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Santa Clara volleyball won the Sacramento State Invitational Saturday on the strength of victories against Nevada and the host Hornets at Colberg Court. The Broncos began their final doubleheader prior to conference play with a 25-9, 25-18, 25-16 victory over the Wolf Pack, and snapped Sacramento State's 12-match winning streak with a 25-21, 25-23, 18-25, 25-22 win in the nightcap. 

Nikki Hess combined for 41 kills in three matches and was named tournament MVP. Sabrina Clayton and Kirsten Mead were named to the all-tournament team. Santa Clara has won six of its last seven contests to improve to 9-3; 2015 marks the third time in four years that the Broncos have started the season at 8-3 or better.

"I'm really proud of the girls to finish preseason with good win against a good team on their home court," head coach Jon Wallace said. "Preseason has prepared us well for conference play. The girls are excited and ready to go." 

VS. NEVADA

The Broncos (8-3) won the first five points of the match and went on a 7-0 run to take an early double-digit lead at 15-5. Clayton posted one of her five first-set kills on the morning's first point, and was on serve for the final three points of the first set. Clayton tied Lacey Maas with seven kills and Hess added eight kills to lead Santa Clara in the match. The Broncos held the Wolf Pack (5-6) to a -.120 hitting percentage in the first frame. 

Maas started off the second set with a kill and bookended a 4-0 run by combining with Anna McCreadie on a block. Mead had 14 of her 35 assists and set Santa Clara to a .481 hitting percentage in the second frame. Four different Broncos — Jensen Cunningham, Clayton, McCreadie and Hess — combined for the team's last four kills of the set.

Mead posted two aces and a kill while Maas and Katrina Inch won two points on combined blocks as the Broncos took a 6-0 lead in the final set. Hess notched two aces against the Wolf Pack to put Santa Clara in front 15-5, and added one more on the next play after a Nevada timeout. The Broncos won at least the first four points of each set in their most decisive victory of the season.

Danielle Rottman led the team with 10 digs and Maas had five total blocks. Both Hess and Mead served three aces in the victory.

VS. SACRAMENTO STATE

Hess had a season-high 20 kills and Mead totaled 45 assists as the Broncos (9-3) handed the Hornets (13-2) just their second loss in 15 matches this season. Sacramento State's 12-match winning streak coming into the game was tied for third-longest in the nation.

Santa Clara never trailed in the first two sets, which featured seven ties between them. The Broncos broke a 12-12 tie on one of Hess' seven first set kills, and led by no more than three until Clayton's kill clinched the set at 25-21. Each team posted its best single-set hitting percentage in the opening frame — the Broncos hit .444 and the Hornets hit .341.

The second set proved to be closer than the first, as Santa Clara led by as many as four prior to a Sacramento State rally that tied the score at 17-17. The Broncos regained momentum and the lead with three straight points as kills by Clayton and Maas bookend an ace from Mead. Later in the set, Hess delivered with a kill to put the Broncos in front 24-23 and Santa Clara clinched the set on an attack error by Sacramento State's Madeline Cannon. 

The Hornets took their first lead of the match at 3-2 in the third set on a kill by Lauren Kissell. After a Hess kill pulled the Broncos within a point of the hosts at 12-11, the Hornets went on an 8-3 run for a six point lead en route to winning the third frame.

In the fourth set, Santa Clara got out to a 5-0 lead on a run that included a kill from Clayton, an ace from Mead and back-to-back blocks. The Broncos built as large as a nine-point edge before the Hornets rallied to take their only lead of the set at 21-20. Santa Clara capped the final stanza with a 5-1 run; Maas and Inch combined for the tournament-clinching block.

Maas had seven total blocks and Rottman led the team with 16 digs in the second match. Hess tallied 14 digs for her eighth double-double in 12 contests this season and Mead recorded four aces.

UP NEXT

Santa Clara hosts San Diego on Thursday at 6 p.m. and BYU on Saturday at 1 p.m. to begin West Coast Conference play.

NOTES: Santa Clara is 6-0 all-time at the Sacramento State Invitational … the Broncos got three victories in 2009 to win the event … Santa Clara has gone 12 matches without playing a five-setter in 2015, the longest such streak since playing 19 matches without a five-setter in 1998.