SANTA CLARA, Calif. – No. 10 BYU women’s volleyball notched its 11th-straight win over Santa Clara, sweeping the WCC opponent on Thursday in the Leavey Event Center (25-17, 25-17, 25-9).

The win puts BYU at 13-1 for the season, including a 3-0 record in WCC play.

Highlights included BYU snagging its second-highest hitting percentage of the season, at .425. Boasting 43 kills, the Cougars dominated the Broncos offensively, holding their opponent to 29 kills and a .080 clip.

Graduate opposite hitter Kenzie Koerber led the team with 14 kills, eight digs and six blocks. Senior outside hitter Taylen Ballard-Nixon followed close behind with 11 kills and earned the team’s highest clip, at .550.

SET ONE
BYU started off strong with a 5-0 run, thanks to two kills by sophomore outside hitter Erin Livingston. The Broncos made it on the board with two kills of their own, however, the Cougars extended their lead, 10-2. 

Santa Clara’s Michelle Shaffer and Sophia Tulino put down four combined kills to close the gap to 13-7. Santa Clara went on a 4-0 run after two consecutive kills by Julia Sangiacomo and two attack errors by BYU, bringing the score to a close 17-14.

Ultimately, four errors by Santa Clara late into the set allowed BYU to take the win, 25-17.

SET TWO
Santa Clara put down two kills, earning its first lead of the day, 3-1. However, a quick two kills by both Ballard-Nixon and junior middle blocker Heather Gneiting put the Cougars back on top, 6-3. On a run, junior setter Whitney Bower had a kill, BYU’s fifth in a row. An ace by the Broncos and three attack errors by BYU evened up the score, 10-10. 

The Cougars set off on a 4-0 run, but the Broncos managed six consecutive kills, taking back their lead, 15-14. Two kills by Koerber and a kill by Ballard-Nixon propelled BYU ahead, 17-15.

BYU tacked on a 5-0 run, including another two kills by Ballard-Nixon. Santa Clara tallied seven total errors in the set and had a clip of .112, giving the Cougars the set win at 25-17.

SET THREE
The Cougars quickly racked up a score of 4-0 after two kills by Koerber. Two errors by BYU allowed Santa Clara to come back at 7-4. After a kill by Bower, BYU led by five points at 10-5. 

The Cougars put down seven kills, including two from both middle blocker Kennedy Eschenberg and Koerber, bringing the score to 22-7. Koerber slammed her fifth and sixth kills of the set in the last few moments, solidifying a win for the Cougars at 25-9.

Up next, San Francisco will host BYU in the War Memorial Gym on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 12 p.m. PDT

PROVO, Utah — No. 10 BYU women's volleyball heads to California to face West Coast Conference opponents Santa Clara and San Francisco on Sept. 30 and Oct. 2, respectively.

The Cougars will face Santa Clara in the Leavey Event Center. BYU holds a 16-4 all-time record against the Broncos. Currently on a 10-match winning streak, BYU last fell to Santa Clara back in 2015.

On Saturday, the Dons will host the Cougars in the War Memorial Gym. BYU boasts a 22-0 record all-time, never losing to San Francisco, since 1976. 

No. 11 Brigham Young University Cougars (12-1 2-0 West Coast Conference)

• In its first week of conference play, BYU swept both opponents, Pacific and Saint Mary’s, in the Smith Fieldhouse last week
• Junior middle blocker Heather Gneiting ranks No. 3 in the NCAA for hitting percentage, holding a .470 clip
• As a team, BYU ranks No. 2 in the NCAA in hitting percentage (.323), No. 7 in kills per set (14.38), No. 7 in opposite hitting percentage (.120), No. 9 in aces per set (2.12) and No. 13 in assists per set (13). The Cougars lead the WCC in all five categories. 
• The Cougars have swept eleven of their thirteen opponents this season
• Last week, the WCC dubbed opposite hitter Kenzie Koerber Offensive Player of the Week

Santa Clara University Broncos (4-8, 0-2 West Coast Conference)

• Most recently, the Broncos posted two losses against WCC opponents, Loyola Marymount (3-1) and Pepperdine (3-2)
• Santa Clara ranks No. 1 in the WCC in digs per set, averaging 4.57. Further, the team ranks No. 2 in team attacks per set (33.93) and team digs (625).
• Offensively, Michelle Shaffer leads the way with 161 kills, followed by Sophia Tulino with 144 kills
• Defensively, Kat Georgiadis is No. 1 in the WCC with 210 digs

University of San Francisco Dons (0-10, 0-0 West Coast Conference)

• Last week, the Dons were swept by Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine
• Currently, the team holds a .134 hitting percentage, averaging 9.1 kills per set
• Shyia Richardson leads the team with 89 kills and 61 digs. Another standout is Orsula Staka who boasts 22 blocks and 41 kills this season.

Broadcast Information – Sept. 30

• Time: 6 p.m. PDT
• Live Stream: WCC Network
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast

Broadcast Information – Oct. 2

• Time: 12 p.m. PDT
• Live Stream: WCC Network
• Live Stats: SIDEARM Stats

TICKET INFORMATION

Click the following links to purchase tickets for matches against Santa Clara and San Francisco.

COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS

If planning to attend the match at Santa Clara, guest must provide a proof of vaccination verification OR proof of a negative PCR lab-based test within 72 hours of the event. Individuals under the age of 12 are exempt from providing proof of vaccination and testing. 

For detailed instructions for the Leavey Event Center, click here. 

If planning to attend the match at San Francisco, guests must wear a face covering. More info can be found here.