With the loss, Sacramento State concludes the season with a 26-9 record, matching its most victories since the 1998 squad posted an identical record. After beginning the season 1-5, the Hornets finished by winning 25 of their last 29 matches, including a Div. I record-tying 16-match winning streak (Oct. 1-Nov. 25). Sacramento State has reached the NCAA Tournament eight times in the last nine years and has won either the Big Sky Conference’s regular season and/or tournament championship each of the last nine seasons.

The loss to Santa Clara was the second of the season for the Hornets as the 15th-ranked Broncos also gave Sacramento State its only home loss of the season (Aug. 30). Santa Clara has now won eight-straight matches over the Hornets dating back to the 1999 season, including two NCAA Tournament losses (2000, 2005). Santa Clara (24-4) will advance to the second round of the tournament on Saturday, Dec. 3, (7 p.m.) to take on the winner of tonight’s matchup featuring host and fifth-ranked Stanford and Nevada.

Sophomore Lindsey Haupt led the Hornets with 14 kills while junior Atlee Hubbard added 13. Hubbard was the catalyst in the first game, recording five kills in nine attempts without an error. However, from that point, she had just five kills with three errors in 30 attacks. Senior Shannon Arts added six kills, three blocks and a team-high .312 hitting percentage. Junior Kristin Lutes led the team with 20 digs and senior Mallory Hook had 11.

Santa Clara had five players with double-figure kills, led by 17 from Annalisa Muratore and Brittany Lowe. Anna Cmaylo provided 16 while Kim McGivin and Cassie Peret had 15 and 11, respectively.

As a team, the Broncos outhit Sacramento State .301-.155. Santa Clara had 34 more kills (80-46) and also outdug the Hornets, 75-64. Sacramento State was helped by 14.5 blocks and took advantage of 14 service errors from SCU. At the net, Michelle Franz tallied seven blocks while Hubbard and Haupt each had six.

In the first game, Sacramento State jumped out to a quick 15-8 lead capped off by a service ace from Melcher. The Hornets would not lead by anything less than four points the rest of the way as the team opened up an advantage as large as eight points (28-20) late in the frame.

In the second game, the Hornets raced to a 16-10 lead before Santa Clara responded with a match-high 14-2 run to claim a commanding 24-18 lead. Lowe and McGiven each had three kills during the run and the Broncos finished the game with a .317 hitting percentage. The Hornets began the game with six kills and no errors in eight attempts (.750), but struggled the rest of the way, finishing the frame with just a .226 hitting percentage.

In the third game, Santa Clara never trailed while hitting .367 compared to an .077 mark for the Hornets. The Broncos had 23 kills with just five errors in 49 attacks while Sacramento State had just nine kills. By the end of the third game, five of Santa Clara’s six starters had already tallied double figures in kills.

In the fourth game, Santa Clara used an 8-0 run to snap an 18-18 tie and never led by anything less than four points the rest of the way. The Hornets’ largest lead of the game was two points (2-0) as the team was limited to a .071 hitting percentage. The Broncos capped the match with McGiven’s 15 kills.

Sacramento State, which currently ranks fifth in the nation and digs and 18th in blocks, will lose three players heading into the 2006 season. Arts, Hook and Natalie Melcher each played their final matches in a Hornet uniform tonight. The team will return all-conference performers Haupt (also the league’s MVP and Big Sky Tournament MVP), Hubbard, Lutes and Franz.