No. 1 BYU Sweeps Santa Clara

PROVO, Utah - Contributions down the lineup led to a No. 1 BYU women's volleyball sweep (28-26, 25-17, 25-11) over Santa Clara on Thursday night at the Smith Fieldhouse.

"We had a total team effort tonight," BYU head coach Heather Olmstead said. "I loved our fight and our composure."

Freshman Heather Gneiting had 11 kills with a .500 hitting percentage and added six blocks. Senior Roni Jones-Perry recorded nine kills while freshman Madelyn Robinson and junior McKenna Miller contributed seven and six kills, respectively. Senior Lyndie-Haddock Eppich led the team in assists with 33 while junior Mary Lake had 18 digs.

Set 1

BYU (24-0, 14-0 WCC) led Santa Clara (6-21, 1-14 WCC) early in the first set, 15-8, before the Broncos climbed back to tie the set at 20 apiece. The two teams traded points back and forth until a kill by Gneiting and an attack error by the Broncos ultimately gave the Cougars the set, 28-26.

Set 2

BYU took an immediate lead, 3-0, due to a kill by Kennedy Eschenberg and attack errors by Santa Clara. A big block by Gneiting and Haddock-Eppich gave BYU a 10-point lead, 20-10. Santa Clara fought to reduce the gap, bringing the score to 20-14, but a kill by Jones-Perry propelled the Cougars forward to take the second set, 25-17.

Set 3

Robinson notched her first kill of the set on a deep hit that ricocheted off the shoulder of a Bronco, giving the Cougars 5-2 lead. BYU built the margin further, including a block by Eschenberg and Haddock-Eppich that doubled up Santa Clara, 12-6. Back-to-back blocks by Robinson and Gneiting widened the gap between the Cougars and the Broncos, 18-9. BYU finished the game on a 7-2 run with a kill by Eschenberg giving the Cougars a 25-11 win.

BYU will next hold Senior Day on Saturday, Nov. 10, at 1 p.m. MT against San Francisco in the Smith Fieldhouse. Seniors Lacy Haddock, Lyndie Haddock-Eppich, Roni Jones-Perry, Sydnie Martindale and Danelle Stetler will be honored pregame.