SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara volleyball gave Notre Dame all they could handle, but ultimately fell in four sets (25-22, 21-25, 19-25 and 25-27) to suffer their first loss of the 2024 season. The Broncos concluded the Catholic Challenge with a runner-up finish and sit at 1-1 after the opening weekend of action.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Broncos took set one, mounting a 12-6 advantage before the Irish rallied back and took a 22-19 advantage. Santa Clara dominated the remainder of the set, scoring six unanswered points to claim the set.
- The second set saw 14 ties and a pair of lead changes before Notre Dame (1-1) scored the final three points to pick up the victory. The Irish controlled the third set after taking a 10-9 advantage that grew to as much as a seven-point lead at 18-11 before finishing in a 25-19 victory.
- The fourth set was a hard-fought affair between both teams, featuring five ties and three lead changes. The Broncos led by as much as 21-17 and made it 23-19 courtesy of a strong kill by Elena Radeff. Unfortunately for Santa Clara, Notre Dame didn't go down quietly and scored the next four points before Oren Abutbul's kill put an end to the spree and made it 24-22. The Irish quickly scored two of their own to knot the score at 24, but the Broncos got the lead right back following a block assist by Abutbul and Layla Truitt. Once again, though, it was Notre Dame that scored the final three points, resulting in a 27-25 final to clinch the match.
NOTABLE NUMBERS:
- Alayna Crabtree and Cate Shanahan each logged a double-double in the losing effort. Crabtree led the team with 12 kills and tallied 10 digs, while Shanahan also tallied 10 digs to go with 10 kills.
- Crabtree and Abutbul were each named to the All-Tournament Team. Crabtree logged 25 combined kills while Abutbul hit .393 against Villanova and led the team against the Irish at .227.
- The Broncos had a season-high 10 blocks as a team.
- The loss was just the second-ever for the Broncos against Notre Dame. They are now 6-2 all-time against the Irish.
POSTGAME INTERVIEW:
NEXT UP:
Santa Clara will take to the road for a three-game tournament in the Lone Star State. The Broncos will take part in the UT Arlington Tournament, Sept. 5-7, in Arlington.
