DENVER- Returning to their home court for the first time in two weeks, the University of Denver volleyball team clinched a come from behind 3-2 victory over Santa Clara on Friday.  

The win snaps a three-game losing streak for the Pioneers, improving them to 7-4 on the season. The Broncos fall to 9-3 overall.  

Santa Clara came out strong grabbing an early lead in the opening set. After the squads exchanged points throughout, battling through a pair of tie scores it wasn't until a string of kills from Lydia Bartalo lifted the Pios offense, giving them a two-point lead at 11-9. Continuing the back-and-forth play the Pios found themselves with a chance to end the set at 24-23. The Broncos buckled down and fended off five-straight set points in order to clinch the set at 30-28.

Santa Clara fed off their momentum early on in the second frame to help build an 11-6 lead. Back-and-forth once again, the two teams strung together twelve consecutive kills, the Broncos taking eight of those. SCU was able to secure the final three points in order to lock in a second-set win, 25-15 and 2-0 match lead.

Neither team was able to break open in the opening points of the third set until Santa Clara pulled away with the use of a 3-0 run to force a Denver timeout. Coming out of the timeout trailing 11-7, the Crimson and Gold stole seven of the next eight points in order to take their first lead of the set at 14-13. Using kills by Ari Winters and Brianna Green Denver jumped out to their largest lead of the night at 20-15. Threatening late, the Broncos cut the Denver lead to three at 19-22. Kalea Fobert and Amanda Green helped end the threat and led DU to a third-set victory, 21-25.

The Pioneers controlled the tempo for the majority of set four. They saw their biggest lead come midway through when a Bronco service error put them on top 16-12. Santa Clara battled back with the help of a 3-0 run to tie things up at 17. Determined to push the match to five, A.Green secured the frame 25-23. A. Green ended the night with a team-high and season-high 14 kills.

A battle in the final set was fitting between the two teams. Fobert and Brianna Green teamed up for three-consecutive blocks in order to give Denver a 10-8 lead. Refusing to back down, DU snatched the final three points to secure the comeback, taking the set 15-10 and the match 3-2.

Other leaders for the DU offense were junior setter Ellie Anderson who recorded her second double-double of the season with a team-high 28 assists and 11 digs. Also helping move the ball around offensively was Andrea Eddy who recorded a season-high 23 assists on the night. Bartalo locked in the Pios second double-double of the match, recording 12 digs to go along with 13 kills. Macy Carrabine led the Crimson and Gold in digs with a season-high of 25.

The Pios will return to action on Saturday as they face Montana (6:00 PM MT) in the final matchup of the Thin Air Challenge at Hamilton Gymnasium.

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