Women’s volleyball made its third NCAA appearance in four years.
Santa Clara’s volleyball season began with a sweep of the tourney it hosted. The women were relentless right into the postseason and earned a spot in the NCAA tournament for the third time in four years and 16th overall. They took the first set against Michigan but fell 3–1 in front of a crowd at UCLA. A 22–9 overall record gave the team its best winning percentage since 2006. In conference play, the Broncos went 13–5, the best since 2007.
GO-TO DIGGER
The go-to digger for the team was Danielle Rottman ’16, whose 4.87 dig/set mark led the league and was second best for a season in Bronco history. The communication major played libero—a roaming defensive position on the court. Without a doubt, she says, this year’s team was “the hardest working and the most committed.” She was one of a program-high six All-Academic honorees and one of three to receive an American Volleyball Coaches Association award.
DOUBLE-DIGIT KILLS
Double-digit kills in 28 matches earned Nikki Hess ’17 her All-America recognition. She led the team with 450 kills. Her honorable mention award from the AVCA came along with conference awards from the WCC for the third year in a row; this year she made First Team All-WCC.
