SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Santa Clara volleyball wraps up its season-long four-match homestand this week. The Broncos host Pacific Thursday at 7 p.m. and Saint Mary's Saturday at 1 p.m. in Leavey Center.

Santa Clara (5-15, 0-8 WCC) has lost nine straight matches. The team was swept at home by San Diego and No. 1 BYU last week.

Pacific (7-12, 2-6) was swept at home by Portland on Thursday before downing Gonzaga in five sets on Saturday of last week. The Tigers defeated the Broncos in three sets on Sept. 25.

Saint Mary's (13-5, 5-3) swept Gonzaga last Thursday and downed Portland in four sets on Saturday. The Gaels play their first match of this week on Thursday night at San Francisco.

THE BRONCOS

Chloe Loreen has double-digit digs in six straight matches, a career-long streak. She notched 21 kills in three sets against the Toreros and made it 33 for the weekend in six sets (5.5/set). She has 93 digs in 20 sets (4.65/set) over the team's last six matches.

Loreen, Michelle Shaffer and Alexa Dreyer have played in all 20 matches and all 69 sets for the Broncos this year. Shaffer had double-digit kills against San Diego (11) and BYU (10) last week to give her 10-plus kills in three of the last four matches and eight times on the year. Dreyer has multiple blocks in nine straight matches.

Roster Breakdown

• The Broncos return 12 players from the 2017 roster, 10 of whom saw the court last season.

• Michelle Gajdka and Taylor Odom played in all 30 matches and 115 of 116 sets a year ago. Gajdka led the team with 361 kills (3.14/set) and ranked third with 277 digs. Odom tied for the team lead in block assists (97) and was second with 108 total blocks (.94/set).

• Allison Kantor and Tessie Powers each took the court in 29 of 30 matches. Kantor, a 2017 WCC All-Freshman Team selection, posted seven double-doubles on the season and closed out the year with six double-digit kill efforts in her last seven matches. Powers finished second on the 2017 team with 287 digs and posted 10-plus digs 16 times.

• Brittany Gillingham (25 matches), Tatiana San Juan (23), Gretchen Reinert (19), Chloe Loreen (16), Anna McCreadie (11) and Ngozi Nwabuzoh (9) round out the returners that took the court. Laura Willems did not play last season and Kathryn Decker redshirted. 

• Santa Clara welcomes six newcomers: UCLA transfer Alexa Dreyer — who joins the team with two years of eligibility remaining — as well as freshmen Alex Anthony, Kamrin Caoili, Liliana Light, Natalia Rentsch and Michelle Shaffer.

• 2017 players lost to graduation: setter and 2017 West Coast Conference assists leader Kirsten Mead (1,232 assists, 10.62/set), middle blocker Jensen Cunningham (team-best 114 total blocks), setter Erin Reineking. Mead also led the team with 33 aces.

Head Coach Jon Wallace

• Jon Wallace, the winningest coach in program history, is in his 20^th season at the helm in 2018. His overall record is 366-219 (.626).

• The Broncos have reached the NCAA Tournament 13 times in Wallace's 19 seasons.

Captains

• Redshirt juniors Anna McCreadie and Taylor Odom, junior Alexa Dreyer and freshman Liliana Light are the 2018 team captains. 

Class Breakdown

• Seniors: 1 - Tatiana San Juan

• Juniors: 7 - Alexa Dreyer, Michelle Gajdka, Anna McCreadie (RS), Ngozi Nwabuzoh, Taylor Odom (RS), Tessie Powers, Laura Willems

• Sophomores: 4 - Brittany Gillingham, Allison Kantor (RS), Chloe Loreen, Gretchen Reinert

• Freshmen: 6 - Alex Anthony, Kamrin Caoili, Kathryn Decker (RS), Liliana Light, Natalia Rentsch, Michelle Shaffer

• By State: California (13), Oregon (2), Washington (2), Colorado (1)

THE TIGERS

• Santa Clara is 9-28 against Pacific in a series that dates back to 1975. 

• The Tigers have won five straight matches in the series. 

• 2018: 9/25 PAC won 3-0 @ PAC

• 2017: 9/26 PAC won 3-0 @ PAC | 10/19 PAC won 3-1 @ SCU 

• Last SCU win: 11/24/15 3-1 at PAC | Last SCU Home win: 10/22/15 3-2

Pacific's Kaitlyn Lines in the WCC leader with 296 kills (44^th – NCAA) and 336 points (37^th). The team is 0-8 in road matches this season.

The Tigers were picked to finish ninth of 10 teams in the 2018 WCC preseason poll, while the Broncos were picked to finish sixth. Pacific went 17-14 overall and 11-7 in conference play last season to finish third in the WCC. The team made it to the second round of the NIVC postseason tournament.

THE GAELS

• Santa Clara is 51-24 against Saint Mary's in a series that dates back to 1979. 

• The home team has won five straight matches in the series.

• 2017: 10/21 SCU won 3-2 @ SCU | 11/21 SMC won 3-2 @ SMC 

• Santa Clara scored 46 points against Saint Mary's in the third set on Nov. 21 last season, the most in a single frame in NCAA history during the 25-point rally-scoring era (2008-present).

Saint Mary's is one of the top service teams in the country; the Gaels rank second in the WCC in aces/set (1.69 – 15^th NCAA) and total aces (122 – 21^st NCAA). Alexsa Parker leads the team and the WCC in aces (34) and aces/set (0.47); both marks are good for 19^th in the NCAA entering the week.

The Gaels were picked to finish seventh of 10 teams in the 2018 WCC preseason poll. Saint Mary's went 9-19 overall and 5-13 in conference play last season to finish ninth in the WCC.

TICKETS

Single-game tickets are available. Click here to purchase online or contact the ticket office weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5 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 Leavey Center are open one hour prior to first serve. Pricing is subject to change.

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.

CONNECT WITH THE BRONCOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Athletics: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Snapchat
Volleyball: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

GO BRONCOS!