Box Score Box Score
PORTLAND, Ore. --- The No. 20 Santa Clara Broncos swept the Portland Pilots in the first home conference match of the year at Chiles Center. The Broncos won with scores of 25-18, 25-20, 25-21.
Portland sits at 5-13 (0-3 WCC), while No. 20 Santa Clara is now 11-3 (3-0 WCC).
Senior Ashley Grayson finished with nine kills for a .286 hitting percentage. Senior Jennifer Sheedy had the match high in blocks, getting above the net for six of the team’s eight blocks, one of those a solo block . Sheedy also added six kills. Junior Shelley Sievers connected on two kills in two swings giving her a 1.000 hitting percentage. While sophomores Danielle Dupar and Jessica Clemens had nine digs each.
Junior Kaylyn Jones was at the setters’ spot, finishing with 22 of the team’s 28 assists. Jones also had 5 digs.
The Broncos began the first set by taking a 5-0 advantage. SCU would hold the lead at 15-10 before the Pilots responded with Dupar, getting down for a tough dig to keep the play alive for teammate Sheedy to nail the kill. A service ace by freshman Marissa Plummer, and a kill by Sievers, was followed by two kills in a row from Sheedy to close the lead to within one point at 16-15. But the Broncos would pull away there to finish the set.
The second set looked promising for UP as the Pilots stayed close to the Broncos heels. The score was all knotted up at 4-4 and even on every point up to 13-13, when Plummer and Jones made a back and forth play, ending with a kill from Plummer. The score evened out again at 16-16 with a block assist by the senior duo of K.C. Fox and Sheedy. But Portland was again unable to cling on, and SCU would seal the set.
The third set began in a familiar fashion as the two teams held each other to even 4-4, 12-12 and 19-19 scores, courtesy of good defense from both teams. SCU would end the match with a 6-2 run, capped by a kill by sophomore Krista Kelley.
Santa Clara had two players in double digits for kills, with seniors Brittany Lowe connecting on 13 and Anna Cmaylo, last week’s WCC Player of the Week, finishing with 11 kills. Freshman Libby Morrison led the way for Santa Clara in digs with eight. Junior Lindsy Davigeadono handed out a match-high 40 assists.
SCU finished with nine team blocks, while Portland countered with eight. The Broncos also had a .287 hitting percentage to UP’s .106.
The match marked the first WCC confrontation at home for first-year head coach Joe Houck.
Portland continues WCC play on Saturday Oct. 11 against the Saint Mary’s Gaels. The Pilots and Gaels are set to go at 1:00 p.m at Chiles Center.
Live stats and a live video feed are available for the match against Saint Mary’s. Visit the volleyball schedule at portlandpilots.com.
