Tonight’s match for Santa Clara served as the home opener for the Broncos as the team improved to 10-2 with the victory. After Sacramento State won 10 of the first 16 meetings between the two teams, Santa Clara has now defeated the Hornets on nine-straight occasions, which is currently the longest losing streak for Sacramento State against any team. The last victory for the Hornets over the Broncos came at home in 1998 (3-1). Since then, Santa Clara has been dominant, including two victories over Sacramento State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament (3-0 in 2000; 3-1 last year).

With tonight’s loss, Sacramento State had its season high six-match winning streak snapped as the Hornets dropped to 12-4 this season. Sacramento State had been 7-2 away from home prior to tonight. The team’s 12-4 record is still the best after 16 matches since the 1995 squad was 15-1.

The rest of the week doesn’t get any easier for the Hornets as the team will host 25th-ranked Long Beach State on Thursday, Sept. 21, and travels to Saint Mary’s on Saturday, Sept. 23. All three of the Hornets’ opponents this week reached the NCAA Tournament last season.

Santa Clara limited the Hornets to a season-low .120 hitting percentage. SCU had three players with double-figure kills, comprised of Cmaylo, McGiven and Annalisa Muratore (10). Cmaylo (.385), McGiven (.369) and setter Crystal Matich (.33) were the only Santa Clara players to hit better than .300 during the match as the Broncos finished with a .253 hitting percentage.

Sacramento State was led by senior Atlee Hubbard’s 21 kills while junior Lindsay Haupt added 13 kills. Junior middle hitter Michelle Franz, who currently ranks 10th in the nation in blocks, finished with a match-high seven blocks. Franz (eight kills, .316 hitting percentage) was the only Hornet with more than one kill who finished with a hitting percentage better than .300. Senior Kristin Lutes posted a team-best 20 digs while sophomore Rose Burke (12), junior Jennifer Ferguson (10) and Hubbard (10) also had double figures in digs.

Santa Clara led from start to finish in the first game, but Sacramento State cut the lead to one point on a number of occasions, including 26-25 late in the frame. Santa Clara looked to McGiven and Cmaylo as the two combined for eight kills over the team’s final nine points of the game.

Santa Clara never trailed in game two as the Hornets closed to a within a 14-14 tie, but the Broncos quickly responded with a 7-0 run to put the frame away. Sacramento State hit for a negative percentage (-.023), as Haupt had five of her 10 attack errors during the second game.

Sacramento State took its largest lead of the match at 12-7 in the third frame before Santa Clara quickly responded with an 11-4 run to grab an 18-16 lead. Both teams battled back and forth until a kill from Hubbard saved a match point and tied things at 29-29. After the Broncos saved a pair of game points, Sacramento State put the game away (33-31) with a kill from Hubbard and a solo block from Jennifer Ferguson.

In the fourth game, the Hornets took an 18-16 lead after an ace from Hubbard, but Santa Clara quickly responded with a 5-0 run. Sacramento State clawed back to within 22-21, but could never reclaim the lead the rest of the way as SCU’s Lauryn Dowd served four-straight points to give the Broncos a commanding 27-21 lead they would never relinquish. A long rally on the final point of the match fittingly ended with after another kill from McGiven.

After this week’s slate of matches concludes, the Hornets (2-0 in the Big Sky Conference) will jump back into league play next week as the team hosts rivals Eastern Washington (Thursday, Sept. 28, 7 p.m.) and Portland State (Saturday, Sept. 30, 7 p.m.). Sacramento State, Portland State and Eastern Washington, respectively, finished as the top three teams in the Big Sky standings last year. The Hornets knocked off Eastern Washington in the Big Sky Tournament championship match.