For the first time since Sept. 5, 2003 the Sacramento State women’s volleyball team was swept at home on Tuesday night in a very muggy Hornets Nest.

The Hornets (1-3) had only lost 21 previous times at home since 1995.

“We got beat by a better team,” Hornets coach Debby Colberg said. “We’ve got a lot of room for improvement.”

The loss to Santa Clara (1-0) follows a pair of losses at the Mizuno Classic against 18th-ranked San Diego and 24th-ranked Long Beach State.

The Broncos dominated the Hornets in nearly every category Tuesday night. Santa Clara junior outside hitter Kim McGiven recorded 18 kills against a confused Hornets defense. Teammate Anna Cmaylo crushed Sac State with 11 powerful kills, often scoring against two Hornet blockers at the net.

“We stayed in system and passed really well,” Broncos coach Jon Wallace said. “(Sac State) had a simple offense with a freshmen setter and they became predictable.”

That freshman was Rose Burke who struggled all night long scoring no kills and just seven digs. Each player took the third loss of the season harsh.

“Bad!” exclaimed Burke when asked her feelings about the three game sweep. “Up until tonight I was feeling pretty good.

“Now I feel like we took a few steps back.”

Sac State junior libero Kristin Lutes had the match-high in digs with 16, but each hard-fought rally seemed to fall Santa Clara’s way.

“It was a little frustrating at times,” said junior outside hitter Atlee Hubbard, who had just seven kills.

“I feel embarrassed, frustrated,” junior Shannon Roland said of her three-kill performance. “We weren’t really playing together. It needs to come together.”

Colberg hopes the players can move past the last three games and head to Houston this weekend for games against Duke, Rice and Houston at the Crowne Plaza Invitational with a full head of steam and self-confidence.

Hornet volleyball will return to the Nest Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m. against Nevada for the opening match of the Sacramento State Invitational.