Broncos swept Sonoma and Humboldt this past weekend to push themselves to an 11-1 overall record in the season, their second best start in school history.
Broncos earned their ninth straight win following a 3-0 sweep against Sonoma State Friday evening in front of their home crowd at Kellogg Arena.
The Broncos came out with authority once again as they completely dominated the first set against SSU.
“Before every game, all we talk about is the first set and how we want to come out intense, confident and learning from our mistakes,” senior middle blocker Kristen Hamlin said.
The Broncos did just that as they went on a 7-0 run to gain a 12-3 lead. They remained in control throughout the entire set, never allowing SSU to get within striking distance.
Senior outside hitter Jenna Goldsberry delivered a powerful kill to finish off the first set with a score of 25-12.
The second set was more of a challenge for Cal Poly Pomona as both teams battled back and forth with 11 lead changes.
The set remained close and the Broncos found themselves in a tough position as they were down 24-22 when Head Coach Rosie Wegrich called a timeout.
“She just told us to stay aggressive,” Hamlin said. “We know ourselves and we don’t want to play scared. We know we can win so we just do what we need to do.”
Aggressive is exactly how the team came out of the timeout. A kill by Hamlin and two attack errors by Sonoma put the Broncos up 25-24 and forced the Seawolves to call a timeout.
“We always try to stay calm,” senior outside hitter Andrea Bosnic said. “Next point, next point and if you make an error don’t worry about it just focus on the next play.”
SSU looked to even up the game, but CPP had different plans.
Hamlin dished out another kill with an assist from freshman setter Kira Zimmerman to end the second set 26-24 and give the Broncos a 2-0 lead.
Hamlin would finish the game hitting .545 with 12 kills and five blocks while Zimmerman would finish with an impressive 42 assists and six digs.
“That is what we are striving for,” Head Coach Wegrich said. “We don’t want to be down, but the work ethic shows. I told them it’s really fun to work hard. We have to work hard right now and we’re going to feel good.”
With the momentum on their side, the Broncos showed no signs of slowing down heading into the third set.
Led by Bosnic who tallied seven kills in the last set and the presence of Zimmerman, the Broncos continued to play together and with authority.
CPP kept the lead throughout the entire set and even when SSU found a rhythm they managed to remain in control.
The Seawolves made it a two-point game late in the third, but in the end, CPP proved to be too much for Sonoma as they finished the set 25-21 to complete the sweep.
“We’re playing really well,” Coach Wegrich said. “We’re playing fast, we’re playing with authority and we’re playing poised, calm and confident mindset.”
Bosnic earned another double-double, with a game-high 16 kills and 11 digs.
“When everyone is playing awesome, it’s just a good vibe and good energy,” Bosnic said. “It’s easy to play when the energy is really good, and everyone is doing their part.”
The Broncos recorded their 10th straight win as they defeated Humboldt State on Saturday night to go to 4-0 in CCAA play.
Once again, the Broncos swept their opponent in three sets, their 10th sweep of the season.
Hamlin led the team with 15 kills and just four errors. Sophomore middle Blocker Ally Wilder was right behind her with 13 kills and five errors.
Zimmerman had 41 assists with one kill and no errors.
The Broncos had a total of 52 kills to just 20 from the Jacks. To go along with kills, the Broncos had 46 assists, compared to just 20 from the Jacks.
The Broncos look to continue their impressive start as they will stay at home to face University of California, San Diego on Friday night and Cal State San Marcos Saturday night. Both games are at 7 p.m.
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