SPOKANE, Wash. - Santa Clara women's volleyball defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs 3-2 in a five set showdown on Thursday night at the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre. The Broncos dropped the first set, before winning sets two, three, and five to take the match. Morgan Hayes led the Broncos with 16 kills, her eighth game of the season in double figures.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Gonzaga (7-5, 0-1 WCC) scored five straight points to take a 7-4 lead to open set one. Three straight service aces gave the Zags a 12-5 lead, and later 15-7. The Zags offensive prowess was too much for the Broncos to overcome as Gonzaga took the first set 25-18.
• The Broncos (6-6,1-0 WCC) scored four straight points to take a 5-1 lead to open set two, and later 8-2 after a Gonzaga attacking error. A kill from Layla Truitt made it 12-4, and a kill from Selin Aslayan increased the lead to 21-11. The Broncos scored the final four points to take set two, 25-13.
• The Broncos again took the upper hand to open set three taking a 4-1 lead after a service ace from Lexi Trapani. Three straight points capped off by a kill from Morgan Hayes gave the Broncos a 13-6 advantage, but Gonzaga scored four straight to cut the lead to 16-12. Four straight points from the Zags cut the lead to 23-21, but the Broncos finished it off with a kill from Grace Flanagan to take set three, 25-22.
• Three straight Bronco points again made it 4-1, but seven straight Zags points made it 9-5 in favor of the Bulldogs. Another five point rally for the Bulldogs made it 21-13, and the deficit was too much for the Broncos as the Zags took set four, 25-16.
• Set five went back-and-forth until the Broncos scored three straight points to take a 9-6 lead. A kill from Morgan Hayes made it 12-8, and then 14-11, before a Gonzaga attacking error gave the Broncos the win, 15-11.

NOTABLE NUMBERS:

• This is the ninth straight win for the Broncos over Gonzaga.
• Morgan Hayes led the Broncos with 16 kills, one shy of her career high of 17 at SJSU (9/16), her eighth game of the season in double figures.
• Lexi Trapani totaled 20 digs, two shy of her career high posted on Aug. 29 at Notre Dame.
• Layla Truitt had 11 kills, her seventh game of the season in double figures.
• Macy Hinshaw had 42 assists, her seventh game this season with 40 or more.

 
UP NEXT:
The Broncos will travel to Pullman to take on Washington State on Saturday at 1 p.m.