SPOKANE, Wash. – The Gonzaga volleyball team swept visiting Central Washington 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-14) in its lone exhibition match Saturday afternoon in the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre. Every Zag saw the floor in the exhibition win.
 
"There is a lot of young talent out there, so just getting them on the court today was huge," head volleyball coach Diane Nelson said. "Seeing them perform with the lights on, their jerseys on…they're ready for this. That was a good thing."
 
As a squad, the Zags hit nearly .400, finishing at a .395 clip for 38 kills off 76 attempts with just eight hitting errors. Junior outside hitter Sarah Penner led the charge with a match-high nine kills, while senior middle blocker Payton Mack added seven. In her Gonzaga debut, Zoe Thiros finished with five kills off nine attempts with a single error to hit .444. The Bulldogs also added 11 service aces and 28 digs in the match.
 
"Our ball control was a huge positive in today's match," Nelson added. "When we are in system, we're going to be really tough to stop. That's been a main focus for us so far this season is our serve and pass game. I just think the confidence was there, all around. Our freshmen didn't feel like freshmen or look like freshmen. That's a big thing; the faster you can get them along, the better."
 
Tia Andaya, another fresh face on the 2019 squad, led the Zags in assists with a match-high 20. She also added two kills, one service ace and one block in the win.
 
"Steadiness was huge for us today," Nelson said. "That attitude and effort and our ability to stay at the same level has been our focus in the gym. I'm glad we executed that way."
 
The Zags officially open their season against UConn Friday, Aug. 30 at 9:30 a.m. PT as part of the Pentagon Invite in Arlington, Va.