MALIBU, Calif. ­Â— The #19 Pepperdine women’s volleyball suffered a 25-23, 25-18, 25-22 defeat to #24 Santa Clara in a West Coast Conference match at Firestone Fieldhouse on Thursday evening.
The Waves (16-4, 4-4) lost at home for the first time this season in six matches and were swept for the first time all season. All four of the Waves’ losses this season have been to teams currently ranked in the AVCA top 25. The Broncos (14-6, 5-3) had previously pulled out a 3-2 win over the Waves in Santa Clara back on Oct. 4.
The match was the annual “Dig for the Cure” fundraiser to benefit breast cancer awareness and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. A total of 93 digs were made, 44 by Pepperdine and 49 by Santa Clara.
Senior outside hitter Julie Rubenstein (Camarillo, Calif./Oaks Christian HS) had a match-high 16 kills, but no one else for Pepperdine had more than six. Freshman libero Stevi Robinson (Hermosa Beach, Calif./Mira Costa HS) had 16 digs.
Pepperdine got off to a good start, taking a 4-1 lead after a block by Rubenstein and freshman middle blocker Kim Hill (Portland, Ore./Portland Christian HS). The lead grew to 9-4 after a solo block and a kill by senior middle blocker Cassi Chamberlain (Lakewood, Calif./Lakewood HS). Santa Clara eventually tied the match at 15-15 on a Libby Morrison service ace, and the Broncos took their first lead since it was 1-0 after back-to-back service aces by Lindsy Davigeadono made it 21-19. Tied 23-23, Anna Cmaylo scored two consecutive kills to end the first set. Rubenstein had eight kills to lead Pepperdine in the first set, while Cmaylo had five for Santa Clara.
The Broncos carried their momentum into the second set by scoring the first five points as Brittany Lowe had two kills and Davigeadono and Cmaylo combined on two blocks. Santa Clara’s largest lead was eight points at 13-5. A 7-2 Pepperdine run that included two kills by freshman outside hitter Lilla Frederick (Huntington Beach, Calif./Cornelia Connelly HS) cut the deficit to 15-12, but that was as close as the Waves would get in the second set. Lowe had seven kills in the set for the Broncos.
Tied 4-4 in the third set, the Broncos scored three straight points and the Waves were never able to catch up. Santa Clara’s lead grew to as many as seven points at 22-15 before Pepperdine was able to close the gap a bit at the end.
The Broncos were led by Lowe’s double-double with 14 kills and 15 digs. Davigeadono had 31 assists and seven blocks and Cmaylo had nine kills and seven blocks. Santa Clara had edges in hitting (.231 to .134), blocks (13 to 3) and service aces (10 to 3).
The Waves were without junior setter Kiah Fiers (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif./Peninsula HS), who suffered a hand injury last weekend and is out indefinitely. Sophomore setter Kealohilani Kea (Honolulu, Hawaii/Kamehameha HS) made her fourth career start.
Pepperdine is ranked #16 by Molten/Volleyball Magazine and #19 by the AVCA, while Santa Clara is only ranked in the AVCA poll.
The Waves are home again on Saturday (Nov. 1) against Saint Mary’s at 1 p.m.
