Gonzaga University
11-7, 2-3WCC
Pepperdine
12-6, 3-2WCC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperdine | 17 | 16 | 20 | 0 |
| Gonzaga | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Efficient Zags Sweep Pepperdine
10/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
SPOKANE, Wash.--With a strong pass/serve game and an ultra-efficient offense, the Gonzaga University volleyball team swept past Pepperdine in three sets (25-17, 25-16, 25-20) Saturday at the Martin Centre in Spokane.
Redshirt senior Savannah Blinn powered the Zags to a 25-17 win in the first set, converting all eight of her attack attempts in the frame. She scored three of the Zags' first four points and also pounded down GU's final two of the frame as well. With the set tied at 5-5, the Zags took a lead on a Pepperdine service error and never looked back. Junior McKayla Ferris served up an ace and the Zags got one other point on a Wave attack error for a three point lead. The Waves came within one at 9-8, but Blinn smacked down a kill for a sideout, allowing the Zags to score two more in a row and three of the next four points for a 13-9 lead. Two points later, they pulled away with a 7-2 run and ended up taking the set by eight points.
Gonzaga led from wire to wire in the second set, taking the first three points and using a .882 sideout percentage to maintain that lead. They broke the set open with a 6-1 run in the middle of the frame, taking a 14-6 lead. Blinn posted three kills during the stretch, both Paige Folger and Faith Smith added one apiece, and Ferris and Kaylie Loewen capped it off with a block. Shortly after, the Zags opened up a 10 point lead with a service ace from Ferris, and the Zags cruised to a 25-16 set victory.
The third set started out much more evenly as the squads were tied through the first 26 points. Gonzaga took a three point lead - the first of the frame by either team - on two Wave errors and a kill down the line from Blinn for 16-13 advantage. The Waves pulled back within one and the teams then traded points for a while, but the Zags used another three point run to pull ahead by four at 23-19. After a single Pepperdine point, senior Jordan Gasser pounded down a kill for a sideout and match point, and a Wave attack error clinched the victory for Gonzaga.
Bulldog Bites:
- As a team, the Bulldogs hit .449 against Pepperdine, its second-highest team attack percentage of the season and third-highest of the last 11 years. They've hit better than .400 in three matches this year, including a .489 hit percentage versus Saint Mary's and .409 mark against Niagara.
- The sweep over Pepperdine is the Zags' first 3-0 victory over the Waves since 1992. That sweep - which came Oct. 3 of that year - was the first of GU's five NCAA Division I wins over Pepperdine.
- Blinn hit a blistering .615 Saturday, posting 18 kills and two attack errors on 26 attempts. It's the second time she's hit over .600 this year; against Saint Mary's on Sept. 26 she hit a career best .625. The Lewiston, Idaho, native is second among Gonzaga's typical attackers with a .307 attack percentage this season, and her 4.16 kills per set would be second in the conference entering the match. Her 18 kills are also the Zags' fourth-most in a three-set match in the last decade.
- Smith posted her fifth double-double of the season, adding 26 assists and 11 digs to Gonzaga's cause. The freshman has the most double/doubles of any Zag this season.
- Gonzaga served up five aces Saturday, the most in the last eight matches. Their four service errors are also a season low.
Zag Speak:
Gonzaga head coach Dave Gantt
"This match is the perfect example of our team when we serve and pass. In our last three matches, we weren't serving and passing as consistently as we did today or the other two WCC matches we won. That has to be our personality; we have to pass/serve. When we do that, we can put up some really good numbers, and hitting at that clip [.449] is pretty solid if we're able to pass/serve and do the things we want to do."
"When we pass, we can get our middles going, and our two middle blockers hit just about .450. Any time that's happening and you've got outside hitters hitting at a .600 clip, it puts pressure on the defense. And that's our game. It's obviously not difficult to see it, but it's a challenge to maintain that level, and that's what we've tasked our team to do. We have to play Top 25 volleyball in every match we play."
Next Up:
The Bulldogs (12-7, 3-3 WCC) next head back out on the road, traveling to Utah and Southern California for matches at BYU and San Diego. Gonzaga begins the trip with a Thursday, Oct. 15 contest against the 15th-ranked Cougars of BYU. First serve for that contest is at 6:00 p.m. Pacific in Provo, Utah.
