Box Score

PHOENIX, Ariz.--Despite an early challenge, the Gonzaga volleyball team wrapped up the GCU Invite with its third sweep of the tournament by dispatching Southern Utah in three sets (25-23, 25-19, 25-14) Saturday at Antelope Gymnasium in Phoenix.

The first set was tight throughout with just one lead of more than three points and high sideout percentages on both sides. Aside from the first point of the frame, though, Gonzaga led the entire way. A couple kills from McKayla Ferris with one from redshirt junior Paige Folger in between gave GU an early three point advantage, but that was erased by a Thunderbird run in the middle of the frame. Gonzaga re-established a three point margin late in the frame, and senior Jordan Gasser tallied the last two Bulldog kills for a 25-23 set victory. Both teams forced a sideout 18 times in the frame, but GU did so in 23 attempts while the Thunderbirds needed 25 opportunities.

The second frame started out even tighter, but near the halfway point Gonzaga pulled ahead. The Bulldogs took a 16-10 lead on a four point run, including two kills from redshirt senior Savannah Blinn. Southern Utah drew within one with a 3-0 run of its own, but back-to-back kills from junior Emmy Allen and sophomore Kaylie Loewen and a service ace from Gasser gave GU a 22-18 lead. Southern Utah then earned a sideout, but the Zags took the next three points - including a pair of kills from Blinn - to take the set 25-19.

Gonzaga came out rolling in the third set, working to an 8-2 lead on the strength of five kills and an ace. SUU halted the run and even drew within five at the 17-12 mark in the frame, but Gonzaga responded with a 7-1 run that gave the Bulldogs match point at 24-13. Southern Utah got brief respite with a sideout, but the Zags clinched the victory with a block from Ferris and Folger.

All-Tournament Team
Freshman setter Faith Smith was named MVP of the GCU Invite after providing a spark to the Zags in all three matches. She wrapped up the tournament with 78 assists, averaging 8.67 per set. Smith also added 17 digs, three kills, and a pair of service aces. Twenty seven of her assists came Saturday against the Thunderbirds.

Also making the All-GCU Invite team, Allen left Antelope Gymnasium with 25 kills and a .490 hitting percentage. The Mill Creek, Wash., native added 13 digs and three blocks in eight total sets.

Bulldog Bites

• With Smith and senior Lauren Joseph running a smooth offense for Gonzaga, the Zags posted 53 assists against the Thunderbirds Saturday, the team's most in any three set match in the last 10 years. Gonzaga's 57 kills were second most of a three-setter in the last decade as well.
• Gonzaga ended the GCU Invite by hitting .346 as a team during their three matches at Grand Canyon, more than 230 points higher than their opponents. The Zags averaged 16.4 kills per set versus their opponents' 9.6, and they averaged nearly four more digs and two more blocks per set than the other team.
• Blinn saw her best match of the tournament Saturday, hitting .429 with 19 kills, 15 of those coming in the second and third sets. Ferris added 15 kills for a tournament total of 37, the most on the team.
• Folger had a solid end to the tournament, posting four more kills and four more blocks - two of them solo blocks - against the Thunderbirds. She wrapped up the GCU Classic with 13 blocks, more than any other Zag, and 1.86 blocks per set. The middle blocker also added eight kills.
• The sweep was Gonzaga's fifth of the year so far (two during the Gonzaga Invitational Sept. 4-5, three during the GCU Classic Sept. 11-12), equaling last year's total. GU has finished with exactly five sweeps in each of the last three seasons.

Zag Speak
Head Coach Dave Gantt
"I have to give Southern Utah credit. I thought they were equal to the task until we just got stubborn in a couple situations and we made plays. That was a key component here because they were not going to give up cheap points. They're well coached, they have a little fire, they can come at you; you have to play ball. I was really pleased with us being stubborn in situations where we won plays after their timeouts. Kudos to the whole team for stiff-arming them."

"The first set was a sideout battle, we just did it two better than they did. The next set was a bit of us figuring them out and adjusting our defense, so the separation was a bit better that way. In the third set, we made another adjustment and got a bit better on offense and they just couldn't get past what we were doing on defense. During each set, we got more efficient on both sides of the ball, and that's what we can do if we just make smart plays like we did."

"Kudos to Emmy Allen for having a great tournament and making the all-tournament team. Faith [Smith} was a steadying factor in running our offense all three matches, so she was our vote for MVP, which is great for her and great for this team. Her and Lauren are doing a really nice job in that regard."

Up Next
The Zags (7-2) wrap up their weekend in Phoenix with a match at No. 10 Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz. That match will begin at 2:00 p.m. at Wells Fargo Arena. The contest will be the Zags' second with a ranked team this season; they opened the year with a loss to then-No. 10 Washington.