SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Kim McGiven tallied a match-high 18 kills to power a Santa Clara attack that accumulated 55 kills and a .439 hitting percentage as the Broncos defeated Sacramento State, 3-0 (30-15, 30-26, 30-16), in a non-conference volleyball match Tuesday evening at the Hornets Nest.The match marked the home opener for Sacramento State (1-3) and the first contest of the season for Santa Clara (1-0). The Hornets, who entered the match 112-21 at home since 1995, were swept in Sacramento for the first time since a 3-0 loss to UC Riverside on Sept. 5, 2003.
Coupled with their losses to 18th-ranked San Diego and 24th-ranked Long Beach State last weekend, the Hornets have lost three in a row for the first time since 2003, and are in danger of losing four in a row for the first time since 1992. The loss also snapped an eight-match winning streak at home for the Hornets dating back to last season.
Santa Clara hit .439 (55-8-107) for the match, the highest hitting percentage allowed by a Sacramento State opponent since the 1996 season when Stanford hit .472 on Oct. 1. In fact, the Broncos hit at least .359 in every game of the match, including a .531 (18-1-32) percentage in the first game.
Four different Broncos hit at least .440 comprised of Megan Pura (.545, seven kills), Anna Cmaylo (.500, 11 kills), Brittany Lowe (.417, nine kills) and McGiven (.441). Santa Clara’s 55 kills almost doubled the Hornets’ total of 28, and the Broncos won handily despite 15 service errors.
Sacramento State was led by sophomore Lindsay Haupt’s eight kills and .316 hitting percentage while junior Atlee Hubbard chipped in seven kills, five digs, two aces and a solo block. The Hornets hit just .106 during the match as Haupt was the only Sacramento State player to hit better than .290. Junior Kristin Lutes led the team with 16 digs while senior Mallory Hook had eight. In her freshman home debut, setter Rose Burke finished with 25 assists, seven digs, two blocks and an ace.
Sacramento State was able to keep the game close in the second frame when the Hornets took just one of two leads all night long at 25-24, but a kill from Lowe tied the score at 25-25. Santa Clara’s Kristen Luxton was then inserted into the game for the first time all match long and promptly reeled off four-straight points on her serve to put the frame away.
Sacramento State returns to action this weekend as the team takes on both Duke and host Rice on Saturday, Sept. 3, as part of the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Houston, Texas. The Hornets then take on Houston in a dual match on Sunday, Sept. 4.
