Match 11
Wednesday, Sept. 14
Gonzaga (6-4) at Seattle University (1-10), 6 p.m.
Seattle, Wash. - Connolly Center
Live video streaming will be available for free on GoSeattleU.com
Series Record: All-time series is tied at 1-1
Last Meeting: Seattle defeated Gonzaga 3-2, Sept. 18, 2010
THIS WEEK: The Gonzaga University women's volleyball team closes out its non-conference slate with a match at Seattle University Wednesday. The match, to be held in Connolly Center, is set to start at 6 p.m. The Bulldogs and Redhawks have each won one match in the all-time series, with Seattle winning the most recent battle. SU earned a 3-2 win over GU Sept. 18, 2010 at the Martin Centre.
ABOUT SEATTLE UNIVERSITY REDHAWKS: The Seattle University women's volleyball team enters into its match with Gonzaga University at 1-10. The Redhawks lone victory came in the opening match of the season when they defeated Eastern Washington University 3-0. Of the 10 matches Seattle has lost, eight have come by 3-0 scores. The Redhawks are led by Cristin Richards who is averaging a team-best 4.64 kills per set, along with 2.27 digs and 0.45 blocks per set. Seattle is coached by Shannon Ellis, who is in her eighth season as the helm.
TERRAN POINDEXTER EXPLODES AT HOOSIER CLASSIC: Junior outside hitter Terran Poindexter helped Gonzaga University women's volleyball to a second place finish at the Hoosier Classic hosted by Indiana University this past weekend. The Bulldogs finished the tournament with a 2-1 record. The outside hitter averaged 13.3 kills and 5.0 digs per match while hitting .326 for the weekend. She finished with 13 kills and a block assist in Gonzaga's lone loss of the weekend, a 3-1 setback to Indiana. She then had her first double-double of the season, and third of her career, in the Zags come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Eastern Illinois. Poindexter finished with 12 kills and 11 digs as GU came back from being down 2-0 to win in five sets. In the final match of the tournament, Poindexter tallied a season-high 15 kills, along with four digs. For her efforts, Poindexter was named to the All-Tournament team.
CRENSHAW BLOCKS A TON: Redshirt sophomore Meredith Crenshaw turned into a blocking wall in Gonzaga University's 3-2 victory over Portland State University. Crenshaw finished the match with a career-high 13 blocks, including six block assists and two solo blocks over the crucial fourth and fifth sets. Her 13 blocks ranks tied third in Gonzaga's all-time record book for single-match block total. She is tied with former Bulldog assistant coach Abby Cullen, who had 13 blocks against the University of Portland in 2002 and with Christine Kubista who also had 13 blocks. Kubista's came against Santa Clara University in 1995.
LAURA DAY ON A ROLL: Senior Laura Day, who at the end of last season switched from a defensive specialist to outside hitter, is on a roll, currently registering double-doubles the past five of the Zags last seven contests. Day leads the team in kills per set at 2.90 and is third on the team in digs at 2.72. She also is third in total service aces with seven. Over the past seven matches she is averaging a double-double of 13.0 kills and 12.7 digs per match. She also has tallied career highs in both kills and digs. She finished with a career-high 19 digs, one more than her previous high, in a 3-0 setback to the University of Washington and had a career-high 19 digs, three more than her previous high, in a 3-2 victory over Portland State University. She also has tallied double-figure kills in eight-straight contests.
MORE TOTAL WINS THAN 2010: Gonzaga University women's volleyball currently holds a 6-4 overall mark. The six wins are two more than the total amount of victories the Bulldogs finished with in 2010.
ALL-TOURNAMENT SELECTIONS THIS FALL:
UniWyo Wyoming Invite: Laura Day, Denise Van de Mortel
Hoosier Classic: Terran Poindexter, Meredith Crenshaw
SEVEN LETTERWINNERS RETURN IN 2011: The Gonzaga University women's volleyball team returns seven letterwinners who averaged 87 sets each a season ago, 77 percent of total play. The Zags also add three returning redshirts and one newcomer to the squad. Leading the charge to make 2011 the most successful campaign to date is the trio of senior leaders in setter Denise Van de Mortel, and outside hitters Laura Day and Kaprina Goodwin.
VAN DE MORTEL GETS GREAT EXPERIENCE THIS SUMMER: Gonzaga University women's volleyball senior setter Denise Van de Mortel, the starting setter for three-years, has come into her own in the past year. After leading the Bulldogs in 2010 with 8.98 assists, 2.14 digs per set, along with a team-leading 19 service aces and 70 blocks, third highest on the team, she participated in the open tryouts for the U.S. Women's National A2 Program, being named an alternate, and spent time playing in China this past June.
GOODWIN RETURNS TO THE MIX AFTER SEASON ENDING INJURY IN 2010: Gonzaga University women's volleyball senior outside hitter Kaprina Goodwin returned to the action after an elbow injury cut her junior season short. She was averaging 2.07 kills per set last season before the injury occurred in the opening match of West Coast Conference play.
YAMAMOTO LONE NEWCOMER: Freshman defensive specialist Maggie Yamamoto is the sole freshman on the competitive roster this fall.
HEAD COACH DAVE GANTT ENTERS THIRD SEASON: Gonzaga University women's volleyball head coach enters his third 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 GoZags.com.
DISHIN' WITH DENI: Gonzaga University women's volleyball senior setter Denise Van de Mortel will be keeping fans up-to-date on everything women's volleyball throughout the 2011 season. Head to GoZags.com every Tuesday to check out her new blog to get the inside look into the Zags volleyball program!
BULLDOGS PICKED NINTH IN WCC COACHES PRESEASON POLL: The Gonzaga University women's volleyball team has been selected to finish ninth in the 2011 West Coast Conference season according to a preseason vote of the league's head coaches. The Bulldogs received eight votes in this year's poll after losing five players, including four starters off a team that went 4-27 and 1-13 in the conference a season ago.
Women's Volleyball 2011 Preseason Poll
1. Pepperdine - 62 (7)
2. Saint Mary's - 55 (1)
3. San Diego - 52 (1)
4. Santa Clara - 43
5. Loyola Marymount - 35
6. BYU - 31
T7. Portland - 19
T7. San Francisco - 19
9. Gonzaga - 8
(First place votes)
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!
