VIDEO: Hess, Shepherd on Volleyball's Preseason
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Santa Clara volleyball begins its 2016 campaign Friday and Saturday at the USC Baden Invitational in Los Angeles. The Broncos face UC Irvine Friday at 5 p.m., followed by a Saturday doubleheader with matchups against No. 7 USC at 10 a.m. and Marquette at 5 p.m. All matches will be played at the Galen Center.
The Broncos are looking to make the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season and fourth time in five years in 2016. The Trojans and Golden Eagles both reached the NCAA Tournament alongside the Broncos last season.
"We're excited for the level of competition this weekend," 18th-year head coach Jon Wallace said. "Between UC Irvine, USC and Marquette, each of these teams has different strengths and will present different challenges."
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The Broncos
The Broncos had an exceptional campaign in 2015; they went 22-9 (13-5 WCC) to finish with the fourth-best winning percentage for a single season in program history. Their .710 overall winning percentage and .733 regular season winning percentage were the best marks since 2006, and their .722 conference winning percentage was the best mark since 2007. Santa Clara tied single-season program records with 11 home wins and 13 conference wins.
Senior outside hitter Nikki Hess, a 2015 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and First Team All-WCC selection, leads Santa Clara's offense. Hess has started all but one of Santa Clara's 90 matches since 2013, and led the Broncos in kills in all three of her seasons with the team.
The Broncos also return 2015 AVCA First Team All-Pacific North Region and First Team-All WCC selection Kirsten Mead at setter. The junior has amassed 2,483 assists in her first two seasons with the Broncos. Last season, she ranked second in the WCC and 28th in the NCAA with 11.06 assists per set.
Senior libero/defensive specialist Mary Shepherd and junior middle blocker Jensen Cunningham each played in all 31 matches for the Broncos last season. Shepherd tallied 196 digs and Cunningham led the team with 137 total blocks.
After missing the first three matches of last season, outside hitter Sabrina Clayton returned to lead the WCC in aces per set (0.43 a/s), a category she topped for the second straight year. Clayton also finished second to Hess with 338 kills.
Santa Clara plays its first 14 matches away from the Leavey Center, which matches the longest stretch to start a season in program history. The Broncos have six true road matches and eight neutral site contests before their home opener Tuesday, Sept. 27 against Pacific. They had 14 straight contests away from home in 2012, and went 10-4 to open the season.
UC Irvine
The Anteaters went 13-15 last season, including a 7-9 mark in Big West Conference play. They are picked to finish fourth in the Big West in 2016.
Sophomore opposite Harlee Kekaupha was named First Team All-Big West last season. She hit .303 for the year and racked up a team-high 343 kills. The Anteaters also return a pair of upperclassmen at key spots — senior setter Shelley Anderson and junior libero Luna Tsujimoto.
USC
The No. 7 Trojans went 33-3 overall and 18-2 in Pac-12 Conference action last year. They entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed and won three matches before falling to Kansas in five sets of the regional final. USC is picked to finish 5th in the conference in 2016.
Senior libero Taylor Whittingham led the Pac-12 with 670 digs and 4.70 digs per set en route to Volleyball Magazine third-team All-American honors last season. The Trojans return two of their top three attackers from a season ago — sophomore outside hitter Alyse Ford (2015 Pac-12 All-Freshman Team, second on USC with 332 kills) and junior opposite Brittany Abercrombie (Pac-12 All-Conference Team, hit .277 with 300 kills).
Marquette
The Golden Eagles went 22-12 and 12-6 in the BIG EAST Conference last season. They earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament and won a five-set match against Northern Iowa before falling to Minnesota in the second round. They are picked to finish second in the BIG EAST this season.
Redshirt sophomore opposite/outside hitter Taylor Louis was named an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American after a prolific campaign that included a team-high 611 kills. Overall, Marquette returns its top four attackers from a season ago: Louis alongside redshirt sophomore middle Jenna Rosenthal (250 kills), senior outside hitter Joy Miley (249 kills) and redshirt senior Meghan Niemann (246 kills, three-time First Team All-BIG EAST selection). Redshirt senior setter Sara Blasier topped the Golden Eagles in assists (1,212) and aces (34) in 2015.
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Go Broncos!
