SAN DIEGO — A combined 27 kills from Grace Frohling and Katie Lukes powered No. 4 San Diego volleyball (15-1, 6-0 WCC) to its 12th straight win on Saturday afternoon, a 3-0 sweep of Santa Clara (6-12, 2-4 WCC) at the Jenny Craig Pavilion that marked the Toreros' fourth consecutive victory in straight sets.

The Toreros took the first set by a 25-16 margin, beat the Broncos 25-18 in the second, and sealed the sweep with a 25-19 victory in the third.

USD outhit SCU .340 to .176 on Saturday and out-blocked the visitors seven to six.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set - No. 4 San Diego, 25-16

• San Diego began Saturday afternoon's contest in style, jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead after a block assist from Lukes (redshirt senior outside hitter) and junior middle blocker Leyla Blackwell (La Jolla High School), and a kill from Lukes.
• The Toreros maintained a modest lead throughout the set's early stages before opening up a five-point advantage at 10-5 on a kill from graduate transfer outside hitter Breana Edwards (Indiana).
• USD stayed ahead by five through the first set's midpoint, then a service ace from redshirt senior libero Annie Benbow and another kill from Lukes stretched the team's lead to nine at 17-8.
• Santa Clara climbed back within four down the stretch to make it 19-14, but San Diego finished the first set on a 6-1 run to secure a 25-16 win.

First Set Notables:

• Senior opposite/setter Grace Frohling (.000) and Lukes (.222): Four kills apiece
• Junior outside hitter Kylie Pries: Three service aces
• Blossom: 10 assists, two digs
• Benbow: Six digs

Second Set - No. 4 San Diego, 25-18

• Santa Clara struck first to open Saturday's second set but quickly fell behind when USD answered with yet another 6-1 run, this time facilitated by two kills from both Frohling and Lukes and a service ace from Benbow.
• San Diego's lead swelled to nine later on at 17-8 when junior libero Madi Allen (Great Oak High School) notched a service ace.
• The Broncos survived match point and cut the deficit to seven at 24-17 on a USD attack error, but a well-timed kill from Frohling iced a 25-18 decision in favor of the home team in the second, earning the Toreros a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.

Second Set Notables:

• Frohling: Six kills (.556)
• Blackwell: Three kills (.333) and three block assists
• Blossom: 13 assists and two digs
• Benbow: Three digs and two assists

Third Set - No. 4 San Diego, 25-19

• USD went up 2-0 in Saturday's third and final frame and never looked back, stretching its lead to as many as six early on via a kill from Frohling at 14-8.
• Edwards helped the Toreros fend off any signs of life from the Broncos, recording three kills down the stretch to keep the San Diego lead at five and make it 21-16.
• Lukes followed with two kills and a service ace to finish it, earning USD a 25-19 win in the third that secured it a 3-0 sweep of Santa Clara.

Third Set Notables:

• Lukes: Six kills (.500) and a service ace
• Frohling (.400) and Edwards (.429): Four kills apiece
• Edwards: Two block assists
• Blossom: 13 assists and four digs
• Benbow: Four digs

TORERO TIDBITS

• Frohling paced Saturday's match with 14 kills while hitting an even .300, adding one assist, two digs, and two block assists.
• Lukes was just behind with 13 kills of her own, hitting .345 with an assist, a service ace, three digs, and two block assists
• Edwards had nine kills (.333), two digs, and three block assists
• Blackwell led the match with five block assists and chipped in five kills (.444).
• Sophomore middle blocker Haylee Stoner (Mission Hills High School) contributed four kills while hitting .400 alongside a dig and two block assists.
• Blossom tallied a match-best 36 assists, also adding eight digs. She has notched 30 assists or more in 15 of the Toreros' 16 matches so far in 2022.
• Benbow led USD with 13 digs and added four assists.
• Pries had three service aces, Benbow and Allen each had two, and Lukes added one.
• USD outhit SCU .340 to .176 on Saturday and out-blocked the visitors seven to six.
• San Diego has now won 12 matches in a row, a stretch that dates back to September 3rd's sweep of No. 8 Louisville at the Cardinal Classic.
• Saturday's sweep of Santa Clara marked the Toreros' fourth consecutive victory in straight sets and 10th such win in 2022.

UP NEXT
The Toreros are back in action next Thursday when they travel to Stockton, California to take on Pacific. First serve at the Alex G. Spanos Center is set for 6 p.m.