SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Veronica Jones-Perry posted a match-best 19 kills to help lead No. 9-ranked BYU to a 25-22, 25-17, 25-14 sweep of Santa Clara volleyball on Thursday in the West Coast Conference opener for both teams.
The Cougars (12-1, 1-0) struggled to take the opening set, but gradually took control in the final two. They posted a match-best .400 attack percentage in the third set after scoring the first five points.
Santa Clara's Anna McCreadie posted one of her six kills in the match to cut the deficit to 15-8, but the Cougars reeled off six straight points, including a pair of kills from Jones-Perry.
Kirsten Mead posted a match-high 31 assists and collected 10 digs to make it 10 double-doubles on the season for the Broncos (7-6, 0-1), who posted a .177 attack percentage and had eight service errors.
Jensen Cunningham had a team-best nine kills and registered a .471 hitting percentage for Santa Clara, which faces another nationally-ranked opponent on Saturday when No. 17 San Diego visits Leavey Center.
The Broncos had a chance to swipe the opening set from BYU, which entered the match ranked 14th in the NCAA with 129.0 total blocks and 20th with 2.87 blocks/set.
Santa Clara trailed 19-11 before making a furious run. A Taylor Odom kill started a run of six straight points that cut the deficit to 20-18. McCreadie's kill chopped the lead to 23-22, but BYU's Lyndie Haddock set up a kill and blocked Allison Kantor's attempt to close out the first set.
Jones-Perry had eight of the first nine kills for BYU and 10 overall in the opening frame. Haddock had 27 assists and five digs in the match.
In the second set, the Cougars snapped a 4-all tie by scoring nine of the next 10 points and the Broncos never got closer than five the rest of the way.
QUOTABLE
"We just have to reset on our passing and I saw some really good things like Taylor Odom, she's playing probably the best I've seen her in the past year or so. Jensen Cunningham is playing great, attacking the ball, and being a great leader out there in the court. Kirsten Mead is being tough, she has to chase those passes down the court but she's playing well too. So we have some good things going ... like I said our passes weren't there and we will figure that out tomorrow to get ready for Saturday."
- Head coach Jon Wallace
NEXT UP
The Broncos play No. 17-ranked San Diego at 1 p.m. Saturday in Leavey Center. Santa Clara will face three ranked opponents in a four-match stretch. The Broncos defeated then ninth-ranked Kansas, 3-2, on Sept. 15.
TICKETS
Season and single-game tickets are available. Click here to purchase tickets online or contact the ticket office weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. at (408) 554-4660 or BroncoTickets@scu.edu. Group discounts are also available through our ticket office sales and service consultants. Doors to the Leavey Center, as well as its ticket office, are open one hour prior to the start of the match.
PARKING
For weekday matches, the Leavey Center lot, located on Accolti Way off El Camino Real, is free beginning one hour prior to first serve. Any other parking facility on campus will be subject to normal daily rates or restrictions, including the main structure, located adjacent to Stevens Stadium on Palm Drive. During the weekend, campus parking facilities are free (except for permit required locations). Click here for a campus map and parking restrictions.
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