SAN DIEGO — San Diego volleyball (8-6, 4-0 WCC) on Thursday night rallied to earn a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Santa Clara (9-7, 1-3 WCC) at the Jenny Craig Pavilion, extending its win streak to four behind key contributions from both its most experienced players and a new generation of Toreros.

USD started the match in strong fashion, winning the first set by a score of 25-12 before dropping a tough 25-21 decision in the second. Twenty-five to 21 and 25-23 wins in the third and fourth sets sealed the match for San Diego, keeping the Toreros undefeated in West Coast Conference play as they secured their eighth victory in their last 10 matches.

Senior Kylie Pries and graduate transfer Amber Stivrins led the team with 11 kills apiece, junior Haylee Stoner added ten more, and freshmen Nemo Beach and Ella Durham combined to contribute 16 of their own.

Leyla Blackwell anchored the San Diego defense, pacing the match with six block assists to go with eight kills.

Her efforts helped the Toreros out-block the Broncos 14 to seven as USD out-hit Santa Clara .228 to .189.

Prior to the match, a banner was unveiled in the JCP honoring San Diego's 2022 NCAA Final Four team.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set - San Diego, 25-12

• Santa Clara struck first to begin Thursday night's match but San Diego had an immediate answer, surging ahead with six straight points that were punctuated by a kill from Kylie Pries.
• Pries found her mark again to make it 8-2 in USD's favor, which prompted a Santa Clara timeout.
• After Isadora Tercariol and Haylee Stoner notched an authoritative combo block, the Broncos took another timeout — this time chasing 13-6.
• Back-to-back service aces from Pries made it 15-6, then Olivia Bennett recorded a service ace of her own to make it a 10-point, 18-8 Torero advantage.
• Santa Clara put together a 3-0 run late in the set to pull within eight, but two consecutive kills from Stivrins and Blackwell again made it a 10-point game.
• Blackwell hammered a kill to bring it to set point, then Tercariol finished it with a service ace, pushing San Diego ahead 1-0 in Thursday night's match with a 25-12 win in the first frame.

Second Set - Santa Clara, 25-21

• Tercariol picked up right where she left off to begin Thursday night's second set, notching an early service ace to help San Diego strike first for a 1-0 lead.
• Back-and-forth play ensued as the frame got underway, then Santa Clara used a pair of service aces to establish a 6-3 advantage.
• Kills from Beach and Stoner and a Bronco attack error followed, tying the score at six.
• The set remained deadlocked through its middle stages, with the score tied at both eight and 11 before an SCU attack error and a combo block from Blackwell and Pries put USD up by a 13-11 margin.
• A late 3-0 run from Santa Clara had the Broncos up by two at 21-19, prompting a Torero timeout.
• Stoner notched a solo block to cut the deficit to just one, but Santa Clara answered with two more points, bringing the score to 23-20 in the visitors' favor.
• USD scored once more to pull within two at 23-21 but got no closer, suffering a 25-21 defeat to the Broncos as they rallied to tie the match at 1-1.

Third Set - San Diego 25, Santa Clara 21

• Santa Clara started the third set strong, establishing an early 4-0 lead before San Diego reeled the Broncos in and made it 6-4.
• The SCU lead stretched to six at 12-6, but three straight kills from Stoner, Durham, and Blackwell quickly had USD back within three.
• Santa Clara continued to lead by three until the set's midpoint, when Beach cut the deficit to one with a kill that prompted a Bronco timeout.
• A block assist from Stoner and Tercariol paired with another kill from Beach put the Toreros on top by a 17-16 margin, then Bennett notched back-to-back service aces down the stretch to make it a 21-17 game.
• Durham hammered two late kills to bring it to set point, then Tercariol sealed the set with a service ace, pushing USD back in front by a score of 2-1 in the match.

Fourth Set - San Diego 25, Santa Clara 23

• Thursday night's fourth and final set saw both teams battle back and forth for nearly its entirety, resulting in 20 tie scores as the early and middle stages of the frame unfolded.
• Santa Clara led 21-20 and 22-21 late in the set but two clutch kills from Pries evened the score at 21-21 and 22-22. After her second well-timed strike, San Diego didn't trail again.
• Stoner and Tercariol teamed up on a block assist to give USD the lead back at 23-22, forcing a Bronco timeout.
• The pair found each other once again coming out of the break — this time on a Stoner kill that was assisted by Tercariol — to bring Thursday night's contest to match point at 24-22.
• San Diego took a timeout of its own after Durham committed an attack error that made it a one-point game at 24-23, but the young outside hitter bounced back in immediate and decisive fashion, sealing a 3-1 San Diego win with her career-high sixth kill of the match on the following play.

TORERO TIDBITS

• Stoner led the match with a robust .471 hitting percentage. She also recorded an assist, a dig, a solo block, and five block assists.
• Tercariol recorded a career-high 50 assists, besting her previous mark of 49 that she had reached twice before. 
• She also led the match with four service aces, which is tied for her career high.
• Durham, who had played in only road games prior to Thursday night's match, had a career-high six kills while hitting .385.
• Bennett was one shy of her career high with three service aces on Thursday night alongside nine digs.
• Madi Allen led USD with 12 digs.
• Pries had 10 digs and added two service aces.
• The Toreros have now won 22 consecutive WCC matches dating back to a 3-1 victory over No. 17 Pepperdine on September 22, 2022 at the JCP.
• Former San Diego volleyball standout Lindsey Lampert was recognized with a moment of silence on Thursday night. Lampert, who starred for USD at middle blocker under head coach Jennifer Petrie from 1998-2001, passed away recently after a battle with cancer. She was 42.

UP NEXT
The Toreros are back in action on Saturday afternoon, when they remain at home to continue WCC play by hosting Pacific in what marks USD's Alumni Weekend match. First serve on Saturday in the Jenny Craig Pavilion is set for 12:00 p.m.