STOCKTON, Calif. – On Tuesday evening, the University of the Pacific Women's Volleyball team lost the first two sets of a WCC match against Santa Clara, but won the final three to complete comeback win at Alex G. Spanos Center, 3-2 (22-25, 28-30, 25-19, 25-20, 15-12). The Tigers improved to 2-5 on the 2021 spring season.
 
MATCH SUMMARY
 
The Broncos took an early lead in the opening set, led by as many as five points, including as late as set point, ahead 24-19. Pacific scored the next three points, including a kill by Ramonni Cook, an attack error from Santa Clara and a kill by Riley Patterson, but a service error against the Tigers closed the set. The Broncos took the opening set, 25-22. Patterson had six kills in the set.
 
Both teams had stretches of points in the second set, including two separate runs of five straight from Pacific. The Tigers led by as much as three, and even reached set point ahead 24-21. Three straight attack errors by Pacific evened the set at 24-24, and extra points had to settle the set. The Tigers had three more set point opportunities, including a 28-27 lead. But an attack error, and back-to-back blocks by the Broncos gave Santa Clara a 30-28 set win and a 2-0 lead in sets. Patterson added nine more kills to her total in the second set.
 
Facing the possibility of getting swept in three sets, the Tigers would not let it happen in the third set. Holding on to a 20-18 lead, Pacific finished the set with a 5-1 run, which included three kills by Alexa Edwards, one by Patterson and a service ace by Kaelyn Saler. Edwards had the kill which sealed the set for Pacific.
 
Even at 11-11 in set four, Pacific went on a 9-1 run, which had four kills by Sedona Sherman. Eventually, the Tigers reached set point at 24-17. Three attack errors by Pacific brought the Broncos within four points, but a kill by Edwards finished the set, as Pacific evened the match with a 25-20 win to force a deciding set.
 
Santa Clara led 4-3 early in the fifth set, but an 8-1 run allowed the Tigers to build a six-point lead. Pacific eventually reached match point ahead 14-10. Although the Broncos closed the deficit to as little as two points, Edwards once again finished the set with a kill, giving Pacific a 15-12 set win to complete a comeback for a 3-2 match victory.
 
NOTABLE STATS
 

• Patterson led Pacific in kills with a season-high 24 on Tuesday, with an attack percentage of .167. Defensively, Patterson had 16 digs. 
• Also with a season-high in kills on Tuesday was Edwards with 23 and reached a double double with 16 digs.
• Edwards also had four service aces.
• Gabby Leo had a career-high 59 assists.
• Saler and Sherman had three total blocks each, all assists.
• Jadyn Tubbs led Pacific in digs with 20 on Tuesday and had five assists.
• As a team, Pacific had 11 service aces, which was the most for the program since September 20, 2019 against Butler.
• The 71 kills for the Tigers was a season-high.
• Out of seven matches in 2021 for Pacific, four have gone to five sets.
• For Santa Clara, Julia Sangiacomo had a team-high 17 kills
• Alex Anthony had 12 total blocks for the Broncos.

 
POSTGAME QUOTES
 
Pacific head coach Greg Gibbons on what the team learned from playing in multiple five-set matches:
"You can take from it that you are never out of it. That's the beautiful thing about our game is you can reset. You lose a set, you get to hit the reset button, go out there [and] do it again. You lose that one, you get to hit the reset button. You know obviously our back was against the wall but I like the fact that they kept their composure you know and just took one point at a time. I don't think it really mattered what the score was. They were just taking every point and just focusing on that as a team."
 
Riley Patterson on how she led and how the team came back:
"I just really tried to be energetic for my team and kind of just do what I can do. Do my job, just like everyone else did their job and we really played as a team so everyone together we connected as a team and we definitely played a lot better in those three sets."
 
UP NEXT
 
The Tigers and Broncos meet again on Wednesday evening with a WCC matchup in Santa Clara. Opening serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. from Leavey Center on the Santa Clara campus.
 
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