MORAGA, Calif. — Following a tightly-contested first set, Santa Clara volleyball won the final six points of sets two and three as part of a 26-24, 25-10, 25-19 sweep of Saint Mary's Tuesday night at McKeon Pavilion. The Broncos picked up their second West Coast Conference win in their first WCC road match of the season.

Santa Clara won a close first set 26-24; Tuesday night marked the first time in 50 frames this season that a stanza went past the 25-point mark. The Gaels (5-8, 0-3 WCC) won seven of nine points early in the set to take their biggest lead of the match at 15-9. 

The Broncos (11-4, 2-1 WCC) countered with a 6-0 run, including two aces from Mary Shepherd and two kills from Nikki Hess, to tie the first set at 19. The teams traded the next 10 points before Kirsten Mead and Sabrina Clayton posted kills to close out the set.

Mead had a match-high 41 assists — the Bronco sophomore has averaged 11.67 a/s and has notched at least 41 assists in each her last four matches. Clayton led all players with 14 kills and four aces. Danielle Rottman had 17 digs and Jensen Cunningham finished the match with five total blocks. 

Clayton had two aces and a kill as part of a 6-2 Bronco run to start the second set. Santa Clara controlled the frame and built a 19-9 lead before winning six straight points to take a two-set lead heading into the break. Four different Broncos posted kills in the final six points, including Katrina Inch and Cunningham.

Anna McCreadie and Cunningham combined for a pair of blocks to spur a 5-0 run as Santa Clara took an 8-3 lead in the third set. After Saint Mary's rallied to tie the set at 19, Clayton had three kills and Cunningham had two as Santa Clara won the final six points of the evening. Mead assisted on five straight points and combined with Cunningham for a block on the match-clinching play.

Santa Clara returns to the Leavey Center for a 6 p.m. matchup with Portland Thursday, then hosts Gonzaga Saturday at 2 p.m. as WCC play continues.