Volleyball Rallies at Nationals

Broncos return to campus with championship hardwareBrendan WeberTHE SANTA CLARAApril 10, 2014[dropcap]S[/dropcap]anta Clara’s men’s club volleyball team found itself in a hole early, dropping the first game of the Bronze Division Championship match at nationals to the University of Pennsylvania. But as they had done all tournament long, the Broncos settled down and dug deep to find their winning form.“By the end of the tournament, everyone was so tired, but we really came together and just said ‘Hey, this is the last game, possibly the last match, for a lot of our seniors so we got to really put it together for one last run,’” said team captain Lowell Tong.The squad came through in the clutch, controlling the second game 25-19. In a championship-deciding third and final game, the Broncos defeated the Quakers 15-9 to claim the Bronze Division title at the National Collegiate Club Volleyball Championships.“I thought we did well,” said Tong. “We didn’t fully meet expectations but ending the tournament winning the Bronze Division was definitely satisfying for us.”After two action-packed days of Division I competition, the Broncos advanced to compete in Saturday’s win-or-go-home Bronze Bracket against 15 other challengers, acing numerous tests in the process.In the first round, the Broncos overpowered the Northern Illinois University squad in three games, followed by another three-game victory in the quarterfinals against California State University, Chico.Entering the semifinals, the Broncos came face-to-face with James Madison University. With a championship match berth at stake, Santa Clara was not phased by the pressure. They cruised 25-19 and 25-20 to top the Dukes, securing the Broncos’ spot in the final.“We have a taller team so when we get a good blocker up there, we usually take care of business pretty well,” said outside hitter Blake Leamy. “We were a lot taller than James Madison so that helped a lot I think.”Santa Clara captured the Bronze Division crown later that afternoon.The Broncos will look to improve this offseason in order to reach their ultimate goal of playing in the Gold Division.“We have a good, strong core,” said Leamy. “If we can keep this momentum rolling into practices in the spring and then fall, and bring it to the winter season, we should be good.”Contact Brendan Weber at bweber@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.