Oct. 27, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Thursday, Oct. 28
Saint Mary's at Gonzaga, 7 p.m.
Gametracker and live streaming available at Gozags.com
Saturday, Oct. 30 - DIG PINK
No. 19 San Diego at Gonzaga, Noon
Gametracker and live streaming available at Gozags.com
THIS WEEK: The Gonzaga University women's volleyball team begins the second half of West Coast Conference action when it welcomes Saint Mary's College to the Martin Centre Thursday. The Bulldogs also host the Univeristy of San Diego, currently ranked No. 19 in the latest AVCA Top 25 poll, Saturday.
RHA NIGHT: It's RHA Night when the Gonzaga University women's volleyball team takes on Saint Mary's College Thursday. The residence hall with the greatest percentage of it's members in attendance will win a prize! Marketing staff will be at the marketing table through the second set to check residents in. The winner will be announced during the break between sets two and three.
DIG PINK: Join the Gonzaga University women's volleyball team as it helps raise awareness for breast cancer when it faces off against the University of San Diego Saturday. Fans can purchase pink Gonzaga t-shirts for $10 with a portion of the proceeds benefitting breast cancer awareness and research. Fans who wear pink to the match will receive $2 admission.
POST GAME AUTOGRAPH SESSION: Be sure to stick around after Saturday's match against the University of San Diego as the members of the Gonzaga University women's volleyball team will be signing autographs on the court at the conclusion of the match!
GAMETRACKER AND LIVE STREAMING FOR ALL HOME MATCHES: All Gonzaga University women's volleyball home matches are available via Gametracker and live streaming on the internet at www.gozags.com. Check the Gonzaga website for all Gametracker and live streaming links. Gametracker for selected away matches are also available. Check out gozags.com for all Gametracker links.
TWITTER: Yes, the Gonzaga University Bulldogs are on twitter! You can find us at www.twitter.com/GonzagaBulldogs. We provide inside scoop on all Bulldog athletics as well as in-game updates for all home and selective road matches. CHECK US OUT!
FACEBOOK: The Gonzaga University women's volleyball team is on Facebook. Search for Gonzaga University women's volleyball when signed into facebook and LIKE the page. Get inside scoop on the team, see photos from the season, read recaps of matches and watch video. ENJOY!
HEAD COACH Dave Gantt ENTERS SECOND SEASON: Gonzaga University women's volleyball head coach enters his second season at the helm of the Zags. Gantt previously coached at Montana State University and Oregon State University. To check out Gantt's full bio please head to http://www.gozags.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/gantt_dave00.html.
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS: The Gonzaga University women's volleyball team is currently on a 19-match losing streak. After the Bulldogs opened the season 2-2 at the North Dakota Classic, they have hit a road block, dropping 19 in a row and only winning 12 sets in those 19 matches. Gonzaga is led by sophomore Jessie Genger who is averaging 1.96 kills per set.
BULLDOGS PICKED SIXTH IN WCC COACHES PRESEASON POLL: The Gonzaga University women's volleyball team has been selected to finish sixth in the West Coast Conference 2010 season according to a preseason vote of the league's head coaches. The Bulldogs received 18 votes in this year's poll after losing just two starters off a team that went 10-18 and 5-9 in the conference a season ago.
Women's Volleyball 2010 Preseason Poll
1. San Diego 48 (6)
2. Saint Mary's 43 (1)
3. Pepperdine 36 (1)
4. Santa Clara 33
5. San Francisco 23
6. Gonzaga 18
7. Portland 12
8. Loyola Marymount 11
(First place votes)
ABOUT SAINT MARY'S: Saint Mary's College is currently second in the West Coast Conference women's volleyball standings with a 6-1 mark in league play. SMC's lone loss in conference was a 3-0 setback to the University of San Diego. Overall the Gaels are 14-6. Saint Mary's is led by Gabby Jolly, who was named WCC Co-Player of the Week. She is averaging 2.62 kills and 1.07 blocks per set. SMC holds the slight 25-23 advantage in the all-time series with Gonzaga University and has won five-straight.
ABOUT SAN DIEGO: The University of San Diego is currently ranked No. 19 in the latest AVCA Top 25 poll and is in sole possession of first place in the West Coast Conference with a perfect 7-0 record. The Toreros, 17-4 overall, are on a nine-match winning streak and have only lost two sets in those nine matches. USD is led by Ali Troost, WCC Co-Player of the Week, who is averaging 4.17 kills and 2.35 digs per set. San Diego leads the all-time series 38-9 and has won 32-straight over Gonzaga University.
ALL-TOURNAMENT - PIONEER CLASSIC, NORTHWEST CHALLENGE , NORTH DAKOTA CLASSIC & ZAGS VOLLEYBALL CLASSIC: Senior Schylur Edelman, a transfer from the University of Colorado, was named to the All-Tournament squads at both the Northwest Challenge and the Pioneer Classic. Junior Denise Van de Mortel was also named All-Tournament at the Pioneer Classic and garnered All-Tournament team honors at the Zags Volleyball Classic this weekend. Senior Allyson Powell earned All-Tournament honors at the North Dakota Classic.
HITTING A MILESTONE: Senior Allyson Powell became the 11th player in Gonzaga University women's volleyball history to break the 1,000 dig plateau. The captain from Selah, Wash., currently has 1,127 digs to her credit to stand in fourth in the Bulldog record book for career digs. She is averaging 4.15 digs per set this season and has collected double-digit digs in 19 of the Zags 23 matches. Her season-high is 31 against Cal State Bakersfield.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES FOR DENNY: Junior setter Denise (Denny) Van de Mortel has registered a team-high seven double-doubles this season. She finished with 36 assists and 10 digs in a 3-2 heartbreaker at the University of North Dakota; tallied a season-high 50 assists with 12 digs in a 3-2 win over Cal State Bakersfield; dished out 34 assists and had a then-season-high 15 digs in a loss to Portland State University; had 34 assists and 12 digs in a 3-1 setback to the University of Denver, passed out 42 assists and dug 15 balls in a 3-2 setback to the University of Idaho, had 46 assists and 11 digs in a 3-1 loss at the University of Montana and tallied 43 assists and a season-high 17 digs in a 3-1 loss to Santa Clara University. On her career, Van de Mortel has 25 double-doubles.
WHERE THEY STAND IN WEST COAST CONFERENCE STATS: Three Gonzaga University women's volleyball players are ranked in the top 10 in multiple statistical categories in the West Coast Conference. Senior Allyson Powell is third in digs per set at 4.15, while junior setter Denise Van de Mortel is sixth in assists per set at 8.79. Senior Schylur Edelman is eighth in blocks per set at 0.89
INJURY REPORT: Junior Kaprina Goodwin, who was averaging 2.07 kills and 0.43 blocks per set, dislocated her right elbow in Gonzaga University's contest at the University of San Diego Sept. 30. The outside hitter is out for the rest of the season with the injury.
CAN SHE BREAK IT?: Senior Allyson Powell, the starting libero and captain for the Gonzaga University women's volleyball team, was three dig shy of breaking the single-season digs record last year; a record that has stood since 1986. Powell finished the season with 434 digs. Linda Bushinski is the current holder of the record with 436 set during the 1986 campaign. Powell could have a chance this year to break the mark, having collected 353 digs thus far this season.
ALL THE WAY AROUND: Junior defensive specialist Laura Day had a career night for the Gonzaga University women's volleyball team in its 3-0 loss to the University of San Francisco Oct. 7. Day, a defensive specialist by trade, played all the way around for the Zags finishing with a career-high 12 kills and added 14 digs for her first career double-double. Day's previous high in kills was five collected twice this season, the last coming at the University of San Diego to open West Coast Conference play.
BREAK OUT MATCHES: Sophomore Jessie Genger and senior Kelsey Bashaw had break out matches for the Gonzaga University women's volleyball team in its 3-1 loss to Santa Clara, Oct. 9. Genger tallied a team-high 12 kills, one off tying a career-high, and had a career-high 12 digs in the match to collect her first career double-double. Bashaw added 10 kills and a match-high .381 hitting clip. Bashaw's 10 kills tied a career-high. The outside hitter previously had 10 kills at the University of San Francisco Oct. 15, 2009.
ANOTHER BIG NIGHT: Senior outside hitter Kelsey Bashaw was the go-to player for the Gonzaga University women's volleyball team in the Zags heartbreaking 3-2 setback to the University of Portland Oct. 23. Bashaw finished with a career-high 17 kills, with only three errors, on 34 total attempts for a team-high .412 hitting percentage.
TRYING TO NOT BREAK A RECORD: Most teams look forward to breaking a record, but the Gonzaga University women's volleyball team is looking to avoid breaking the Zags longest losing streak record this Thursday. GU's longest losing streak is 19 set during the 2004 campaign when it finished the season 4-25. Gonzaga defeated Idaho State University 3-0 before dropping the final 19 matches of the season. The Bulldogs have currently tied the 19-match losing streak, as they haven't won since Aug. 28.
ON DECK: Gonzaga University women's volleyball hits the road for the final time this season. After hosting Saint Mary's College and the University of San Diego at the Martin Centre this week, the Bulldogs travel to play Santa Clara University and the University of San Francisco next week.
