SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara volleyball dropped a five set thriller against Southern Utah in the first game of the Santa Clara/SJSU Invitational. The Broncos had a 2-0 lead before Southern Utah won the next three sets to take the victory away from the Broncos.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Broncos (3-2) fell behind early in the first set 5-0 and later 8-2, then battled all the way back to tie the set at 22. They scored two straight on kills from Cate Shanahan and Oren Abutbul to earn a set point, 24-23.
- However, the Thunderbirds (3-4) scored two straight points to steal back the advantage from the Broncos. Once again the Broncos persevered as they fended off the next three set point opportunities for the Thunderbirds with kills from Oren Abutbul, Cate Shanahan, and Alayna Crabtree tying the score at 27.
- An attacking error from the Thunderbirds gave the Broncos the set point advantage at 28-27. After a point by Southern Utah, the Broncos scored the last two points of the set with a kill from Grace Flanagan and a defensive error by the Thunderbirds to take the first set 30-28.
- The Broncos hit .406 in the second set jumping out to a 23-12 lead. A slicing kill from Alayna Crabtree and a service error from the Thunderbirds gave the Broncos the second set victory 25-13.
- The third set was neck-and-neck with neither team giving an edge early. Southern Utah scored five straight taking a 14-9 advantage. The Broncos again fought back, cutting the lead to 23-20, but the Thunderbirds rattled off the last two points taking the set 25-22.
- The Thunderbirds went on an 8-2 scoring spurt to take a 19-13 lead in the fourth set. They kept the advantage and never looked back, forcing a final fifth set with a 25-17 victory.
- The Broncos came out hot to start the fifth set taking an 8-5 lead. Southern Utah scored the next four points to take a 9-8 lead. The Thunderbirds took a 12-10 lead, but the Broncos answered back again. A huge kill from Alayna Crabtree and a block from Laiyla Truitt following a timeout tied the game at 12. The Thunderbirds scored the next two and the Broncos answered a Thunderbird service error with one of their own, ending the match with a 15-13 defeat.
NOTABLE NUMBERS:
- Five Broncos reached double figures in kills – Truitt (16), Crabtree (14), Abutbul (12), Radeff (11), and Shanahan (10).
- Layla Truitt's 16 kills is a season high for the Broncos.
- Three Broncos hit .500 or better – Hinshaw (.500), Flanagan (.538), and Truitt (.520).
- Cate Shanahan recorded the second double-double of her career with 10 kills and 13 digs.
- Macy Hinshaw added the first double-double of her career with 26 assists and 15 digs.
- Hinshaw and Shanahan recorded a season high in digs for the Broncos (15 each).
- Service errors again proved to be costly down the stretch for the Broncos as they committed 18 on the night.
POSTGAME INTERVIEW:
UP NEXT:
The Broncos will look to bounce back tomorrow in the second day of the Santa Clara/SJSU Invitational against Fresno State at 6 p.m. PT.
