Inside the Herd Week 3 Winter 2026

Santa Clara women's water polo battles with No. 17 University of California, Davis during their first game of the season on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026 at Sullivan Aquatic Center. UC Davis won 22-3. (Dylan Ryu/The Santa Clara)

Men’s Basketball 

A 62-54 upset against rival Saint Mary’s last week set the tone for the Broncos in the second half of this campaign. With 10 games remaining in the regular season, Santa Clara has powered themselves to an impressive 16-5 record, remaining undefeated at the Leavey Center. They have a rematch against No. 8 Gonzaga looming. 

Christian Hammond ’28 was named WCC Player of the Week for his performances against Pacific and Saint Mary’s last week, where he scored 18 and 25 points to lead Santa Clara to two important wins in league play. Hammond went a commendable 15-of-25 shooting, and has eight 20-point games so far this season. Allen Graves ’29 was also named WCC Freshman of the Week for the second time after averaging 14 points, 8 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks in the same two games. 

The Bronco defense held the Gaels to just 54 total points and 31.6% shooting—their lowest point total and shooting percentage so far this season. 

Next Up: at University of San Diego, Saturday, Jan. 23, 6:30 p.m.

Women’s Basketball 

Santa Clara women’s basketball cruised to a 34-point victory over Seattle on Thursday evening, winning their fourth road game in a row in a commanding 93-59 triumph. Now 17-5 on the season and 7-2 in WCC play, the Broncos are having an impressive first season under the leadership of head coach Loree Payne. It is their best start since the 2000-01 season. 

Delainey Miller ’29 had a career night for Santa Clara, leading the game with 19 points. Ava Schmidt ’27, Ashley Hawkins ’26, Kylee Fox ’27 and Alana Goodchild ’26 also reached double-digit points to provide an offensive explosion for the Broncos. 

Next Up: vs. Washington State, Thursday, Jan. 29, 6:00 p.m. 

Women’s Water Polo 

Women’s water polo started the season at the Sullivan Aquatic Center, splitting matches with No. 17 UC Davis and Fresno Pacific. 

The Aggie offense proved to be too tall a task for the Broncos, as they fell 22-3. There were a few highlights, however: Hailey Romano ’29 scored the first goal of her Bronco career, with Avary Torres ’26 dishing her first assist on Romano’s tally. 

Santa Clara rebounded in the afternoon, however, picking up a dominant 19-7 win over Fresno Pacific. Khloe Tarbet ’28 and Megan Chambliss ’26 led the way scoring, each netting a hat trick as the Broncos had 12 different players find the back of the Sunbird cage in the match. Reese Artura ’29 netted the first two goals of her Bronco career, with Evelyn McLaughlin ’27 and Calla Troxel also scoring two. Haley Tassell ’27 made nine saves in net and helped the Broncos collect their first win of the season. 

Next Up: at Cal State Monterey Bay, Saturday, Jan. 23, 1 p.m. 

Men’s Tennis 

Men’s Tennis opened up their 2026 spring campaign with strong wins over San Diego State and UC Davis, 5-2 and 4-1, respectively. 

Against the Aggies, the Broncos won the doubles point behind performances from pair Luca Bluett ’28 and John Kim ’26 and pair Tiago Boschmans ’27 and Ferran Redza ’29 . Bluett, Lukas Maskow ’27 and Valentin Faure ’27 won their singles matches, clinching the win for Santa Clara while only dropping one match in the process. 

In the home opener against the Aztecs on Sunday, Jan. 18, the Broncos were unable to secure the doubles point, but rattled off five singles victories en route to a 5-2 victory at the Degheri Tennis Center. John Kim had the clincher for Santa Clara, winning 6-3, 6-4 in the third spot to get the Broncos over the four-point threshold. Maskow, Faure, Bluett and Alexander Watanabe Eriksson ’26 all won their singles matches. 

Next Up: ITA Kickoff Weekend, Starkville, Miss., Jan. 23-24