Box Score

SAN FRANCISCO--The Gonzaga University women's volleyball team picked up another sweep Thursday night, downing the San Francisco Dons in three sets (25-17, 25-16, 25-21) for the second time this season.

The rematch began with little separation between the two clubs, but with the first-set score tied at 11, the Bulldogs began to pull away. Emmy Allen landed a kill to give the Zags a lead, and she and Paige Folger blocked a shot to put the Zags up by two. After that, the Gonzaga defense held the Dons to single points through most of the frame. In the first set, the Bulldogs posted a sideout percentage of .765, and they used that match-high to take the period 25-17, the final point coming on a kill from Tiyana Hallums.

In the second, both teams were once again tied at 11 before Gonzaga took a permanent lead. At that point, McKayla Ferris, Jenna Kuehn, and Allen each posted points for a small run, putting the score at 14-11 for GU. The Dons did pull within one point at 17-16, but Ferris landed an attack for a sideout and the visitors ended the set with an eight-point run.

Gonzaga led throughout most of the third frame, but the Dons did pull even with GU at 6-6, 8-8, 16-16, and 19-19. With the scoreline at 19-19, Ferris launched a game-ending 6-2 run with a solo block. Allen continued the run with a kill, and they picked up another on a bad set from San Francisco. The Dons countered with two points, their last two of the match, but the Bulldogs landed the final three points, one a kill from Imani Wimbush and another a solo block from Folger.

Bulldog Bites:

• With five total blocks on the night, Folger moved into sixth on Gonzaga's all-time blocks list. She now has 356 in her career. The senior from Sacramento, California, passed Christine Kubista for sixth with her third block of the night. Two of those blocks came on block assists, and she moved into a tie for fifth all-time on that list at 324.
• For the second consecutive contest, the Zags set a season high for digs in a three-set match. They dug up 66, the most in three sets and fifth-best mark in matches of any length this year. Three Zags reached double-digits, led by senior libero Morgan Douglass at 16, although sophomore setter Faith Smith was one shy at 15. Ferris added 11. Both Smith and Ferris posted double-doubles on the night.
• Gonzaga's net game earned 10 team blocks Thursday, with eight coming on solo blocks. It marks just the third West Coast Conference match with at least 10 blocks, yet the Zags entered the match second in the conference with 2.43 blocks per set. They also entered the match second in digs per frame during conference play with 15.06.
• The sweep was Gonzaga's seventh of the season and fourth in conference play. On Oct. 1, they swept San Francisco in Spokane, and they also beat Santa Clara, their next foe, two days prior.

Zag Speak: Thoughts from Gonzaga head coach Diane Nelson

"The group is dialed in and knows our ability to control matches lies in playing defense and transition kills."

Next Up:

Gonzaga (13-7, 6-4) wraps up its weekend in the Bay Area Saturday, Oct. 29, with a match at Santa Clara. First serve for that contest will come at 1:00 p.m. at the Leavey Center on the Santa Clara University campus. Gonzaga swept the Broncos in Spokane on Sept. 29 during the Bulldogs' home opener.