Upset Bid Turns to Heartbreak for Pepperdine Volleyball
11/19/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 19, 2004
Final Stats
MALIBU, Calif. - After jumping out to a two-games-to-none lead against 23rd-ranked Santa Clara Friday night, Pepperdine's women's volleyball team was unable to pull off the upset as the Broncos earned the series sweep with a 3-2 (28-30, 20-30, 30-19, 30-26, 15-13) victory at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif.
With Pepperdine (10-14, 7-6 WCC) making a furious comeback in game five, the play of the year ended the match. A Waves attack looked to even the game up at 14-14 after smacking a Santa Clara (18-6, 9-4 WCC) player on the back row. Somehow the play was kept alive by a diving Bronco inside the three-meter line. The ball then found its way over the net into the waiting swing of Pepperdine's Lecca Roberts who swung and miss-hit the ball into the net preserving the Bronco victory.
Katy Daly led all players with 20 kills in the match followed by Kristen Shultz and Sophia Milo who recorded 15 and 13, respectively.
The highlight of the night belonged to senior Christina Hinds on the eve of Senior Night. The Beverly Hills, Calif., native ended the match with 28 digs pushing her into first on Pepperdine's all-time digs list at 1,372. The total also moved Hinds into fifth on the West Coast Conference's all-time list as she passed Pepperdine's Carolyn Hueth's (1989-1991) total of 1,371.
The intermission between games two and three could not have come at a worse time for the Waves who had controlled the match up until that point. Pepperdine had committed just eight attack errors through the first two games as Daly, Melissa Mehlhorn and Breegan Mullligan combined for 20 kills without an error. In contrast, the Broncos were hitting just .160 as a team and no one had more than seven kills.
But that all changed in game three.
In the momentum-changing stanza, Santa Clara got six kills each from Toni Muratori and Cassie Perret with Anna Cmaylo chipping in four as the Broncos pounded out 21 kills with just three errors. As a team, Santa Clara recorded six blocks and two service aces in the game, one which saw the Waves hit at a respectable .225 clip.
Pepperdine seemed to have gotten back on track early in game four, jumping out to leads of 10-6 and 14-10. But a 10-3 `Bronc's run gave Santa Clara a three-point edge at 20-17. The Waves were forced to use a timeout trailing 23-19 but could never force their way back into the game as Santa Clara forced the decisive game.
Pepperdine will close out the 2004 campaign tomorrow night as it hosts #15 San Diego. Two Waves will be playing in their final match wearing the blue and orange, Shultz and Hinds. First serve is slated for 7:00 p.m. (PT).
