SANTA CLARA and SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Santa Clara University volleyball team got off to its best start in four years Friday, starting the 2023 season with two wins in one day. The Broncos topped CSUN, 3-2, at the Mission College Gym, then crossed town to beat California Baptist, 3-1, at San Jose State's Spartan Gym on the first day of the Santa Clara/SJSU Invitational.
Â
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game One
- Santa Clara (2-0) came from behind to earn a victory its first match of the year, beating CSUN (0-1), 3-2, after trailing, 2-1.
- The Broncos won the opening set, 25-21, but dropped sets two and three by scores of 25-16 and 25-20, respectively. They came back and dominated the fourth, 25-17, to send it to a deciding fifth. And it took every single point to play out the deciding fifth set, with Santa Clara edging CSUN, 15-13.
- The Broncos had two players with double-digit kills in the first match of the year. Sophia Tulino led all players with 15, and Layla Truitt turned in 13.
- Santa Clara's defense also showed up on the first day of the year, logging 13 blocks against the Matadors – more than it had in all but one match last season.
Game Two
- Another back-and-forth contest ensued across town at SJSU's Spartan Gym against California Baptist (0-2). Two sets went to extra points, and it took a huge comeback by the Broncos in the fourth set to avoid another five-set match.
- Santa Clara hit .295 in the first set, holding on to win, 30-28, and take a 1-0 match lead. It'd drop the second, but take the third by extra points again, 28-26.
- Trailing 12-4 in the fourth set, the Broncos looked to be headed to five sets again, but they surged with a 21-7 run that pulled them all the way back and gave them a match-clinching, 25-19 set victory.
- That explosive run included a 16-3 stretch to close out the match. It included eight Broncos kills and four service aces, including an ace from Kat Georgiadis on the final point to seal the match.
NOTABLE NUMBERS
- 20: Tulino tallied 20 kills against California Baptist in the day's nightcap. It was the third 20-kill performance of her career and her most kills in a match since collecting a career-high 23 on Sept. 25, 2021.
- 25: Santa Clara totaled 25 blocks across two matches Friday. That's tied for its most blocks across a two-match stretch since Sept. 25-28, 2021 (30.5).
- 64: The Broncos totaled 64 digs against CBU. They only had three matches in all of 2022 with more than 60 digs.
POSTGAME COMMENTS
NEXT UP
- The Santa Clara/SJSU Invitational continues on Saturday and Sunday at SJSU's Spartan Gym. The Broncos face Jacksonville University at 11 a.m. Saturday, then take on the host Spartans at 4 p.m. Sunday. All live coverage links can be found on the Broncos' schedule page.
