SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Despite 15 kills, a .448 hitting percentage and a career-high 13 blocks from junior Emily Wilson, the Sacramento State volleyball team’s bid to upset 16th-ranked Santa Clara fell short as the Broncos posted a 3-2 (30-26, 23-30, 30-28, 20-30, 15-11) victory Tuesday evening inside the Hornets Nest.With the victory, Santa Clara won for the fourth time in its last five matches while improving to 9-5. The win also marked the 100th career victory for Broncos’ head coach Jon Wallace. Sacramento State had its four-match winning streak snapped as the team fell to 9-7. The Hornets outhit (.267-.202) and outblocked (17.0-9.0) the Broncos, but lost for the third time in a five-game match this season.
Becky Potter’s 23 kills and 20 digs led the Broncos as she became just the 10th player in Santa Clara history to post at least 20 kills and 20 digs in the same match. Four of her 23 kills came in the decisive fifth game. Toni Muratore added 20 kills, four digs and four blocks to round out the two Broncos with 20-plus kills.
Sacramento State had four players with double figures in kills, comprising Wilson, junior Sandra Bandimere (team-high 18 kills to go along with 12 digs), senior Kazmiera Imrie (13 kills and five blocks) and freshman Jennifer Ferguson (12 kills and 14 digs). Wilson’s 13 blocks tied her for the third-best single-match mark in school history as the junior now has 28 blocks over her last three matches.
Trailing, 29-28, in the third game, Sacramento State lost a chance to tie the game when Bandimere’s serve went long. The Hornets missed opportunities in the fifth game as well after jumping out to a 6-3 lead. Santa Clara went on a 10-2 run to take a commanding 13-8 lead with the help of three Hornet attack errors. Sacramento State hit just .125 in the fifth game after hitting .323, .319 and .417, respectively, in games two through four.
Three Hornets finished with hitting percentages of at least .400 comprising Imrie (.440, 13-2-25), sophomore Shannon Arts (seven kills, .400) and Wilson. Freshman Kristin Lutes had 20 digs to lead the Hornets while sophomore Mallory Hook added 13.
Santa Clara has now won five-straight matches over the Hornets, becoming one of just four teams to have a current streak of at least five-straight wins against the Hornets (Stanford, Pacific and San Diego).
Sacramento State plays two more matches at home this week on Thursday, Oct. 2 (Montana State at 7 p.m.) and Saturday, Oct. 4 (Montana at 1 p.m.). The team wraps up its season-long five-match homestand on Tuesday, Oct. 7, against Nevada at 7 p.m.
