SPOKANE, Wash. – The Gonzaga volleyball team powered past visiting Saint Mary's in four sets (21-25, 25-21, 25-17, 25-20) Saturday afternoon in Martin Centre in the final home match of the season. The Zags boasted a season-high 17.0 blocks in the win; that number ranks sixth all-time in the rally-scoring era in a four-set match.
 
"I'm just so happy for them," head volleyball coach Diane Nelson said. "Everything about that looked fun. Even with the lulls in there because Saint Mary's is a good team. A solid team. Serving has been a big part of what has helped us be successful, and that was absolutely key tonight. It helped every aspect. Between that and our blocking…I'm proud of them. From all areas."
 
Gonzaga (9-17, 6-9 WCC) finished with three players in double-figure kills led by Sarah Penner with 15 hitting .464. Peighton De Von had a monster match, logging a double-double with a season-high tying 12 kills and a career-high 12 blocks including five solo blocks. Her five solo blocks rank fourth all-time in a single match. Kaylie Loewen rounded out the double-figure kills with 10 hitting .500 to go along with five blocks. Faith Smith added 23 assists and 14 digs while Tiyana Hallums added a match-high 15 digs.
 
"Honestly, it was great energy in here," De Von said. "I thought that our team stayed with it through to the end. It was really exciting to be a part of this."
 
The Bulldogs hit .269 as a squad for 54 kills and 52 assists to Saint Mary's (17-8, 9-6 WCC) .189 hitting for 56 kills with 53 assists. In the first set, the Zags struggled to find any sort of rhythm and fell to the Gaels 25-21, but in the second set Penner erupted for six kills hitting at a .667 clip. De Von was clutch at the net with recording five of her 12.0 total blocks. The Bulldogs surged ahead 17-9 and cruised to the 25-21 second set win.
 
De Von continued with her stellar play in the third, helping GU hit .394 as a squad as she connected for five kills off eight swings with one error to hit .500. The senior added two solo blocks, contributing to Saint Mary's .156 hitting percentage. The Zags held on to a one-point lead (9-8) midway through the set, but a kill from Kennedy Croft ignited an 8-4 run that gave the Bulldogs a 17-12 advantage.  GU kept pushing to claim the 25-17 third-set win.
 
In the fourth, Saint Mary's and Gonzaga battled back and forth until a 5-1 Bulldog run gave GU a 19-15 lead. The Zags never relinquished their lead and powered through for the 25-20 set win and 3-1 match victory.
 
"[After that first set], we took what we needed to work on from things that we lacked, and then things that we were doing we just fined tuned a little," De Von said. "We continued to do those things that were working. I think that's what really helped us."
 
The Bulldogs close their season on the road with stops at Pepperdine (Nov. 15), Loyola Marymount (Nov. 17) and Portland (Nov. 20).