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SPOKANE, Wash.--The Gonzaga University women's volleyball team dug both pink and Portland Saturday, sweeping the Pilots 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-22) during the Zags' annual Dig Pink match at the Martin Centre in Spokane.

In the first set, the Zags used a massive mid-frame run to grab a 10-point lead and the early match advantage. Down 11-12, Imani Wimbush landed a pass from Faith Smith, tying the set and starting a 12-1 run to take command. Seven of those points came from kills while three of the Zags' five first-set blocks came during that stretch as well. After the run, Portland did win six of the next seven points, but McKayla Ferris finished things off with a kill.

Gonzaga again used a mid-set run for a permanent lead in the second. Tied 12-all, the Bulldogs claimed the advantage with a Portland service error, and then they won four more points on the serve of Jenna Kuehn to go up five. UP's Hannah Troutman paused the run with a sideout, but McKayla Ferris landed back-to-back tallies for a six-point Gonzaga lead, the Zags' biggest of the frame. Portland thrice pulled within three during the set, but the Zags won it 25-21.

Capping off the match, the Bulldogs came from behind before a tight 25-22 third-set victory. Down 15-17, Emmy Allen went on a tear, landing three straight kills while the Zags earned two more on a block and a kill for a 20-17 advantage. The Pilots re-tied the match, however, after winning four of the next five, forcing a timeout from Gonzaga. The teams traded the next two points for another tie score before the Bulldogs won the final three, getting points from Allen and a Portland attack error before Ferris ended the match with a kill, her 19th on the day.

Bulldog Bites:

• The Zags tallied 57 digs Saturday against Portland, a season high for three-set matches. Senior libero Morgan Douglass led all players with 18, her annual best, while Kuehn added 10 more. In all, nine different Bulldogs dug up at least one Portland attack Saturday. This continues a recent Gonzaga trend; in both 2014 and 2015, they've set a season high for digs against the Pilots.
• With the win, Gonzaga advanced to 5-4 in West Coast Conference play at the midpoint of the league slate. The Zags have posted a winning record in the first half of WCC play just three times previously: 1989, 1990, and 2014.
• Ferris led the GU attack Saturday, landing 19 kills on a .417 attack percentage. Those 19 kills are the most by a Zag in a three-setter this season and tied for second-most in a three-setter over the last 12 years. The senior from Chandler, Arizona, has now reached double-digit kills in 11 matches this season, four of them against conference foes.
• With the 3-0 win over Portland, Gonzaga has now swept five matches this season, three of which have come during conference play. The Zags have swept Portland in three straight matches and beaten the Pilots in seven straight.

Zag Speak: Thoughts from Gonzaga head coach Diane Nelson

• "We made some adjustments on our defense personnel-wise and positioning and gave some responsibilities that we noticed were a weakness to different people. After every game, we look at what needs to have some lasting change. We're not afraid of change, our kids are mature enough to deal with it, and they responded well."
• "[The lighter load this last week] was necessary. That's the fine balance of recovery and training. For us, less is more right now. We have a focused group, so when we get on the court, we get a lot out of it."

Next Up:

The Zags (12-7, 5-4 WCC) will return to the road next weekend for two matches in the Bay Area. They begin the weekend with a 6:00 p.m. match Thursday, Oct. 27 at San Francisco. Gonzaga swept the Dons to begin October in Spokane.