SPOKANE, Wash. — Santa Clara volleyball wrapped up a busy week with a loss at Gonzaga on Saturday. The Bulldogs defeated the Broncos 25-21, 25-22, 25-20 Saturday in Charlotte Y. Martin Centre.

The teams finished the two-match set with a split after Santa Clara won in five sets on Friday. The Broncos played four matches in six days for the week overall.

The Bulldogs (4-10, 4-10 WCC) hit .330 as a team, their best offensive output of the season, to snap a four-match losing streak. Chapin Gray and Sarah Penner shared the team lead with 10 kills apiece. Gray hit .588 and Penner hit .556; neither Zag committed an attacking error on the day. Penner added 12 digs for a double-double and Julia Talarico had a match-best 15 digs.

Sophia Tulino led all players with 14 kills and Julia Sangiacomo added 12 for the Broncos (3-5, 3-5). Santa Clara was held to .171 hitting, its lowest mark in the last seven matches. Alex Anthony had six kills on an efficient .500 hitting and added three blocks.

Gonzaga never trailed in the first two sets.

The first frame was knotted up as late as 15-all before the Bulldogs made the definitive run. Gray started a 7-3 span with a kill and added two more as Gonzaga went ahead 22-18. The Broncos cut the lead down to two points twice as late as 23-21 Zags before Katelyn Oppio had a kill and Penner capped the set with an ace.

Five different Bulldogs produced a kill as the team built a 7-2 lead in the second set. Tulino had back-to-back kills for the Broncos to bring them within a point at 17-16, and Santa Clara got within one six different times down a close homestretch before Thiros came through with a kill to secure the closest set of the contest. The Zags hit .382 for the set.

In the third, the Bulldogs won five straight points to take a 9-3 lead, sparked by a kill and an ace from Penner. The Broncos pulled within a point three separate times before Penner keyed a second Zag spree, producing three kills in a 6-1 run to give the hosts an 18-12 lead en route to closing out the match.

NEXT UP 

The Broncos return to California for a home-and-home set against Saint Mary's next week. The Broncos head to Moraga on Thursday for a 6 p.m. first serve, then host the Gaels Friday for a 6 p.m. first serve.

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