NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The Santa Clara University women's volleyball team closed out its trip to the Yale Invitational Saturday, suffering narrow defeats against Hofstra and the host Bulldogs at Yale's John J. Lee Amphitheater.
vs. HOFSTRA
Though swept, the Broncos (2-5) played a close battle versus the Pride, falling 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-22), with all three sets decided by five or fewer points. Santa Clara hit .267 with 45 kills, while Hofstra (4-2) managed a .287 hitting percentage with 47 kills and held a 50-43 edge in digs.
Morgan Hayes led the way for the Broncos with 14 kills, marking her second consecutive game with at least 14 kills, pushing her past the 100-kills mark for the season.
Grace Flanagan recorded a season-high 11 kills on an impressive .556 hitting percentage and also contributed a team-high five blocks.
Macy Hinshaw supported the effort with 33 assists, 12 digs, and two blocks, while
Lexi Trapani led in digs with 14 and added six assists.
The first set saw the Broncos turn a 9-6 deficit into a 10-9 lead, highlighted by three kills from Hayes. Despite tying the set at 23-23 with back-to-back points from Hayes, Hofstra clinched the set with the final two points. Santa Clara's push in the second set came late, with Hinshaw serving during a four-point stretch to narrow the gap, but Hofstra ultimately took the set 25-20. In the third set, the Broncos again took a lead after overcoming a 15-13 deficit, but Hofstra scored the final two points to win 25-22.
vs. YALE
The Broncos had an even closer fight against the host Bulldogs, falling 3-1 (26-24, 25-22, 25-23, 22-25). Hayes was the standout performer again, leading with 21 kills, marking her second match in as many weeks with over 20 kills.
Macy Hinshaw tied her season and career high with 54 assists, along with eight digs, two block assists, and one service ace.
Lexi Trapani collected a team-high 18 digs and served three aces, while
Cate Shanahan added 13 kills and nine digs.
Santa Clara rallied to tie the first set at 24-24, with Shanahan and
Allison Dzieciuch contributing crucial kills after Yale led 24-22. However, Yale clinched the set with a kill and a Broncos attack error. The second set saw the Broncos rally late, trimming a 21-15 deficit to just two points, but Yale secured the set 25-22. In the third set, the Broncos rallied from a 21-18 deficit to win 25-23, with Hinshaw serving four consecutive points and Hayes contributing back-to-back kills. The fourth set featured back-and-forth play, with Santa Clara taking a 21-20 lead, but Yale responded with four straight points to close out the match, 25-22.
Betsy Goodenow led Yale with 20 kills, while Laurece Abraham added 12 kills at a .478 hitting percentage. Ava Poinsett contributed 12 kills and a team-high 20 digs, and Kalyssa Taggart recorded 46 assists.
Santa Clara will return to the West Coast next week for its first home matches of the season, hosting the Santa Clara Mission Classic with matches against San Diego State on Friday, CSU Bakersfield on Saturday, and California on Sunday. Fans can purchase tickets and find all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.
