Volleyball upsets Pacific at Leavey
By Erin Chambers
At the midseason mark in West Coast Conference play, the women's volleyball team continues the fight to defend their championship.
Los Angeles was home to the Broncos this past weekend as they headed south to face Loyola Marymount on Friday and No. 15 Pepperdine on Saturday. It was freshman Toni Muratore's 15 kills as well as two key aces by sophomore setter Kelli Sousa that lead the Broncos to a swift three game sweep of LMU at Gersten Pavilion.
The following evening however, that swiftness was replaced by numerous errors and a loss in four games to the Waves. The Waves hit .444 against the Broncos, while our four service errors contributed to a season low 16 points in the first game. Pepperdine was forced into a fourth game for only the second time all season, thanks to three consecutive kills by freshman Toni Muratore and another 11 added by sophomore Becky Potter. But it wasn't enough as the Waves took the match 30-16, 30-26, 25-30, 31-29.
"We weren't very surprised to beat LMU so easily. We were expected to win and were glad we did it so quickly," Potter said. "The Pepperdine game, on the other hand, was a different story. We didn't feel that they were any better than us. As confident as we were going into the match, it was just one of those matches that didn't quite turn out the way you anticipate."
Despite the disappointing loss in Los Angeles, the Bronco team had reason to celebrate as two of its young players were named WCC Players of the Week. Last week, Becky Potter received the honors, as she posted 45 kills, 24 digs and five service aces in three home matches.
"It is definitely a confidence builder, but at the same time, I'm constantly feeling like my game isn't quite up to my own standards," Potter said.
Muratore was then honored as this week's WCC Co-Player of the Week. She is the third Bronco to receive the award this season, behind Potter and senior Jami Bari, as she hit a staggering .552 in Southern California this past weekend with 33 kills and only four errors in two matches.
Santa Clara continued its strong season with a with a upset defeat of highly ranked Pacific on Tuesday evening at the Leavey Center. The 30-22, 26-30, 30-26, 30-22 victory was keyed by five Broncos registering double digit kill statistics.
The Broncos remain at home this weekend with another WCC match-up against San Francisco on Saturday then head north to play Berkeley in a midseason non-conference match.