Box Score Box Score
SANTA CLARA, Calif – The University of Portland Pilots women’s volleyball team fell 3-0 (25-18, 25-16, 25-18) to the Santa Clara Broncos in the Leavey Center on Saturday afternoon. UP falls to 6-21 overall and 0-11 in the WCC, while SCU improves to 17-6 overall and 8-3 in the conference.
Led by seniors K.C. Fox and Ashley Grayson, posting two kills and five kills respectively in the first, the Pilots took control early and went ahead with 3-0 lead. Portland played well with Jessica Clemens adding to her WCC fourth best in service aces and a kill from senior Jennifer Sheedy. With Portland ahead at 15-13 Santa Clara would string together eight straight points courtesy of three solid blocking efforts from their front line, one Portland error, a kill and a service ace from Anna Cmaylo, a kill from Krista Kelley and one from Lindsy Davigeadono. SCU would carry this momentum through to close out the set.
In the second it was the Broncos this time who gained the quick lead at 4-10 behind the strength of an attacking spree from Kelley, Tanya Schmidt, and Davigeadono. Solid offensive efforts from Grayson set up by setter Maria Clemens and some Bronco errors would trim the SCU lead to 9-12. Here Fox would smash down two kills and Danielle Dupar would send over a service ace to tighten the score further to 12-14. But the combined Bronco attack, which had six players contributing to 13 kills, would prove too much for the Pilots.
The third set continued in similar fashion as the Pilots struggled to find holes in the Santa Clara defense. It would be senior Jennifer Sheedy and freshmen Marissa Plummer and Kati Hronek who would drill one kill each past the Bronco blockers en route to a 5-7 start. The two-point margin would be the closest of the set, although two kills by Fox and one by Sheedy would threaten the comeback at 12-9.
The Broncos brought out a tough defense, out-blocking UP eight to six and out-digging 39 to 27. The home team also led the way in kills with 42 to Portland's 30 while the Broncos hit at .315 and held Portland to a .113 hitting percentage.
Dupar lead both teams on defense with nine digs. Leading Portland with nine kills each was Fox and Grayson. Grayson also had four digs and three blocks, while Fox also had three digs and one block. Plummer shared the match high in blocks with SCU’s Kelley with four apiece.
SCU’s Brittany Lowe had the match high in kills with 13, while setter Davigeadono had the match high in assists with 33.
Portland will need to shake off the loss as they return home to host conference opponents Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount next weekend. The match against Pepperdine is set for Thursday Nov. 13 at 7 p.m., while the match against LMU will take place on Saturday Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. Both matches are played in the Chiles Center.
