Volleyball opened the West Region Showcase in Oakland with a 3-0 sweep in game one of four by defeating Humboldt State.
Friday afternoon, the Broncos opened the match with a dominating 8-0 lead to start the first set.
“We had really excellent ball control,” head coach Rosie Wegrich said.
The team remained in control as they never allowed the Lumberjacks to get close and finished the first set with a 25-8 win.
The second set went back and forth between the teams as the Lumberjacks wouldn’t go down without a fight. The Broncos found themselves with a 17-12 lead, but that lead disappeared quickly, allowing 5 unanswered points from the Jacks which tied up the score 17-17.
The team found a rhythm again and scored 6 points back to back allowing them to come out with a 25-18 win and lead the match 2-0.
Humboldt State came out aggressive at the beginning of the third set. The Broncos kept their composure even when they found themselves down 19-16 late. After calling a quick time out, the Broncos were able to regain the lead.
“It shows that our team has learned that they can make a comeback,” Wegrich said. “Their confidence should be enhanced.”
Cal Poly Pomona went on a 7-0 run and finished the sweep with a 25-22 victory in the third set.
The team finished the game hitting at an impressive .330 which kept the team moving forward.
“I’m trying to emphasize team play,” Wegrich said. “The team hitting that percentage is a reflection of our ball control. The big thing is that our efficiency was good.”
The Broncos outplayed Humboldt in all categories. They carried out a total of 47 kills to Humboldt’s 24 and out-dug them by eight.
Senior outside hitter Andrea Bosnic led the Broncos with 10 kills and eight digs while Ally Wilder and Kristen Hamlin each added nine kills of their own.
Freshman setter Kira Zimmerman was a key factor in the teams win, as she dished out 31 assists and tallied seven digs and two aces.
Senior outside hitter Jenna Goldsberry added seven kills and 12 digs for the Broncos.
“We started off super strong by mixing up our set and we were really good in the background digging,” said Goldsberry. “As a team, coming into the game knowing that we have the experience and skill to take the win is important.”
In the second game of the showcase, the Broncos continued their dominance by sweeping Hawaii Pacific. The Broncos blew out the Sharks in two of the three sets.
Bosnic and Goldsberry each had nine kills each, while Zimmerman threw out 33 assists.
The Broncos had a total of 46 kills to only 24 of the Sharks. Broncos had 57 digs to 43 of the Sharks.
Senior Kristen Hamlin led the team with 12 kills and also added one ace and four blocks.
The Broncos kept their sweep streak alive as they swept Holy Names in the third game of the showcase.
The Broncos out scored Hawks by double digits in two of the three sets.
They out scored the Hawks in points 51 to 31.
The Broncos hit at an average .422 to the Hawks .124.
Hamlin led the team with eight kills. Junior Kaitlin Powell had more than half of the Broncos assist with 23 in the entire game.
Heading to the final game of the showcase the Broncos looked to keep their streak alive. The Broncos defeated Stanislaus State in three straight sets to give the Broncos their seventh victory of the season. The Broncos handed the Warriors their first loss of the season.
Hamlin led the team with 11 kills and Zimmerman lead the team with 36 assists.
The Broncos start the season 7-1 and their best start in the last nine years.
All of the Broncos’ wins have been in sweeps.
Hamlin and Goldsberry were named to All-Tournament team.
Hamlin had a total of 40 kills with just eight errors, while Goldsberry had 32 kills with just 12 errors in the four games.
The Broncos look to continue their success as they head to Chico State to face the Wildcats on Friday night at 7 p.m. and head to Stanislaus for a rematch against the Warriors on Saturday night at 7 p.m.
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