PORTLAND, Ore. — The Santa Clara University women's volleyball team grabbed its first West Coast Conference win of the season Thursday, defeating Portland, 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-21), on the road at the Chiles Center.
Cate Shanahan led Santa Clara (5-10, 1-2 WCC) with 14 kills and two service aces while hitting .464. Shanahan has recorded at least 14 kills in seven consecutive games and surpassed the 200 kills milestone for the season.
Macy Hinshaw finished with 37 assists and 14 digs for her seventh consecutive double-double.
Allison Dzieciuch posted a season-high 13 kills while hitting a season-high .579 and added a solo block.
Morgan Hayes recorded 12 kills, four digs and one block assist. Hayes surpassed the 250 kills milestone on the year.
Santa Clara won the opening set 25-19, breaking from a 16-16 tie and outscoring Portland (8-3, 1-1 WCC), 9-3, the rest of the way. Hayes put the Broncos ahead, 18-16, with a kill from Hinshaw, and after Portland got within 19-18, Santa Clara answered with a 6-1 finish. Dzieciuch supplied the Broncos' final three points on kills.
After Portland scored the first two points of set two, the Broncos answered with six straight to move in front, 6-2, and never look back.
Grace Flanagan served two aces before Dzieciuch and Shanahan finished kills for that early run. Santa Clara maintained control from there and added a late three-point stretch on
Tia Kapihe's serve to go up 23-14. The Broncos closed the set 25-15 on Flanagan's kill.
The Broncos erased a 12-10 deficit in the third set, getting back-to-back Shanahan service aces before a
Lexi Trapani serving stretch helped push them ahead, 18-13. Trapani had an ace during that run, and Shanahan added a kill as Santa Clara created the separation it needed. Shanahan would clinch the match with her 14th kill of the night, giving the Broncos a 25-21 set win and completing the sweep.
Kalaweloilehua Chock led Portland with 12 kills, adding two service aces and eight digs. Havannah Hoeft recorded 33 assists, eight digs and one block assist. Eliot Diehl Palmer finished with eight kills on a .294 hitting percentage and one block assist. Shaylee Stephen added five kills on eight attacks without an error for a .625 hitting percentage.
Santa Clara's West Coast Conference road trip continues at 1 p.m. Saturday when they face Seattle. Fans can find all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.
