No. 7 BYU wins 14th in a row, sweeps Santa Clara

PROVO, Utah — No. 7 BYU women’s volleyball achieved its second sweep against Santa Clara this season (25-14, 25-10, 25-17) in the Smith Fieldhouse on Saturday.

On a 14-match winning streak, BYU now holds a 21-1 overall record on the season and is 11-0 in the WCC.

The Cougars hit 46 kills, holding a .426 hitting percentage. Meanwhile, Santa Clara managed 28 kills and a .090. Defensively, the Cougars outblocked the Broncos 6-3 and held them to 19 errors.

Junior setter Whitney Bower achieved a double-double, leading the match with her 34 assists and 13 digs. Her assists contributed to five Cougars hitting a .455 clip or higher. 

Additionally, Bower hit six kills of her own, boasting the team’s highest clip, a .750.

“It’s all about the reps, and it’s all about practice,” Bower said. “When everyone is doing their job and taking certain swings, it makes my job easier to put the ball up and get it where it needs to go.”

SET ONE
Koerber quickly had two kills to start the match, putting BYU ahead 2-1. However, two consecutive kills by Santa Clara put BYU behind 3-2. Kills by Koerber and senior outside hitter Taylen Ballard-Nixon tied the teams at 4-4.

The set remained tight as the teams tied another two times. BYU broke away with a 3-0 run, widening the gap to 9-6. A 4-0 run, including a block by junior middle blocker Heather Gneiting and Ballard-Nixon, extended the Cougars’ lead to 16-9.

The Broncos attempted to close the gap, but two back-to-back blocks by Gneiting and junior setter Whitney Bower put the Cougars further ahead. Tack on two more kills by Koerber and BYU secured the set win at 25-14.

SET TWO
Koeber picked up where she left off, notching her eighth kill of the night immediately. Two kills each from Gneiting and Bower put the Cougars on a 6-0 run, leading 7-1.

The team’s momentum continued with a kill by Ballard-Nixon and another block by Gneiting and Bower. The Cougars managed an 8-0 run, thanks to three consecutive kills by Gneiting. Santa Clara followed with a 2-0 run of its own, but still trailed 14-6.

Five kills by five Cougars propelled the team to another set win at 25-10. Ultimately, BYU’s clip of .538 on 15 kills dominated Santa Clara’s .036 on seven.

SET THREE
The teams traded kills at the start, tying six times by 6-6. A slight lead for BYU occurred when Ballard-Nixon slammed a kill at 8-6. However, Santa Clara’s Julia Sangiacomo notched her third kill of the set, tying the score at 8-8.

Two attack errors, paired with kills from Gneiting and Bower, widened the gap to 12-8. 

Four Cougars tallied kills, extending the lead to 22-13. Even though Santa Clara fought back with two runs of its own, BYU clinched the win at 25-17 after a final kill by Gneiting. 

Next week, BYU hits the road to face Gonzaga on Thursday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. PDT in the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre.