In a tightly contested match on September 12, 2026, the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners women’s volleyball team dropped a 3-2 decision to the Santa Clara Broncos at the Leavey Center in Santa Clara, California. The match featured multiple lead changes and frequent ties, underlining the competitive intensity between the two Big West Conference adversaries.
The Roadrunners were led by Jordyn Waite-Ward, who delivered a career-high performance with 17 kills on a .577 hitting percentage, surpassing her previous best of 14 kills. Supporting her efforts, Luiza Da Cruz contributed 17 assists and 14 digs, Anna Bacchin provided 12 kills, and Suelen Lima added 10 kills.
CSU Bakersfield managed a team hitting percentage of .201, registered 58 digs, and recorded 10 blocks throughout the match. Despite a challenging start, losing the first set 18-25, the Roadrunners rallied in the second set with a 5-0 closing run to win 25-23. Santa Clara responded by claiming the third set 25-18, but CSU Bakersfield forced a decisive fifth set with a 25-21 fourth-set victory.
The final set was marked by a significant comeback as CSU Bakersfield erased a 14-8 deficit to tie the game 14-14. However, Santa Clara secured the matchs last two points to prevail 16-14 in the decisive set. Cate Shanahan led all players with 23 kills on a .372 hitting percentage for Santa Clara. Across the contest, there were 20 tie scores and four lead changes, underscoring the closeness of the battle.
CSU Bakersfield is scheduled to continue the Santa Clara Mission Classic when they face San Diego State. The Roadrunners last met the Aztecs in 2018, claiming a victory during their previous encounter.
CSB Take
CSU Bakersfields performance demonstrated resilience and competitive growth, particularly with Jordyn Waite-Wards career-best kill tally. The narrow loss to Santa Clara, marked by multiple momentum shifts, suggests the team is growing stronger in tough conference matchups. Attention on converting late-set leads into victories will be crucial as the Roadrunners prepare for upcoming challenges, including their showdown with San Diego State.
Source: Original report
