Box Score

DENVER, Colo.-The Gonzaga volleyball team hung tough for two sets Friday night, but the visiting Zags fell to the host Denver Pioneers 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-15) inside Hamilton Gymnasium.

"Denver was solid tonight, their offense was tough to stop," said Gonzaga head coach Diane Nelson. "They were stubborn about it. Had we made a few more transition plays on defense, I think it's a different game."

Set two was by far the closest of the match, seeing 11 tie scores and four lead changes. Neither team led by more than four points in the frame, and the score was tied as late as 23-all before Denver claimed the final two points.

Coming out of the intermission and trailing by two sets, the Zags kept pace in the early part of the third before Denver pulled away to capture the win.

The Pioneers out-hit Gonzaga .291 to .127, but the Zags kept contact in both digs (45) and blocks (6.0). Sophomore Jenna Kuehn posted her fourth double-double of the year with 14 digs and 13 assists, and junior Marit Thorkildsen joined her in double figures with 11 digs. Freshman Sarah Penner led Gonzaga with 10 kills.

Junior Faith Smith, with whom Kuehn is tied with four double-doubles, added 15 assists and 17 digs against DU.

The Bulldogs (4-6) continue the Denver Invitational with two matches on Saturday, Sept. 16. They'll face San Diego State in match one, which begins at 9:00 a.m. Pacific (10:00 a.m. Mountain), and GU finishes the day at 3:00 p.m. Pacific against UC Riverside.