SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga volleyball battled late and pushed Oklahoma to the brink in each set of its finale as hosts of the GU Invitational, but fell in straight sets (20-25, 25-27, 22-25) to the visiting Sooners, who improved to 3-0 on the weekend and are winners of eight consecutive sets.

But they didn't win any easily against a Zags attack that clawed within striking distance at the end of each set, led by McKenna Marshall (17 kills), Kennedy Croft (10 kills) and Cara McKenzie (seven kills). Brynn Chandler generated 35 of the Zags' 37 assists, and Croft and Dani Batenhorst added three service aces apiece to fuel a comeback bid. 

"It came back to our ability to pass the serve and pass," said GU head coach Diane Nelson. "And when that's rocking and rolling, we can do some really good things.

"It's really going to be our mentality and what we're learning through this preseason that will help us in the WCC. So that's a great match for us to play at that level and a team at that kind of physicality. Now we get a chance to go back and learn from it."

The Sooners scored the first six points of the game to take a lead they'd hold while hitting a game-high .414 through the rest of the first set, despite five kills from Marshall and two service aces apiece from Croft and Batenhorst. Oklahoma led 20-8 after scoring three straight, but Gonzaga used a late 5-0 run capped off by Marshall's fifth kill to get within four before the Sooners could close out the set 25-20 with a kill of their own.

Down by as much as six again in the second, GU went on an 11-5 run that saw three more kills from Marshall and two more from McKenzie, capped by off Batenhorst's third service ace that made it 19-all. An ensuing 4-1 run with back-to-back kills from Marshall tied it again at 24 to extend the set, but a Sooners kill and GU attacking error gave OU its second set win, 27-25.

The Sooners jumped out to a 3-0 advantage in the third before the Zags scored six of the next eight to take a 6-5 lead. Oklahoma would go on to lead by as much as five before Gonzaga went on a 4-0 run — two assists and a kill from Brynn Chandler — to pull within one and force a Sooners timeout. The Bulldogs stayed within three the rest of the set after taking a timeout of their own down 19-15 and closed the game on a 4-3 run, but the Sooners still sealed the sweep with a 25-22 win.

The Zags will head to Pullman, Wash. this coming weekend to take part in the Cougar Classic hosted by Washington State, with their first matchup against Long Beach State set for 10:30 a.m. Friday and a matchup with the WSU Cougars set for 8 p.m. Check GoZags for live video, up-to-date game time information and live stats.

Chandler, McKenzie named to All-Tournament Team

Grad transfers Brynn Chandler and Cara McKenzie were host Gonzaga's representatives on the seven-player All-Tournament Team, joining Oklahoma's Megan Wilson (who was named Tournament MVP), Olivia LittleJim and Peyton Dunn as well as Sierra Bartley and Mac Russ of Seattle and Air Force, respectively.

Chandler picked up 93 of GU's 120 assists over the weekend, appearing in every set and matching OU's Peyton Dunn's tournament-high of 35 assists in a single game twice — against Air Force on Saturday and Oklahoma on Sunday. McKenzie was responsible for nine of GU's 17 blocks in the same span as well as connecting on 24 kills, third-most on the team behind outside hitters Kennedy Croft and McKenna Marshall.

Gonzaga Invitational All-Tournament Team
No. 3 Megan Wilson (MVP) - Oklahoma
No. 4 Peyton Dunn - Oklahoma
No. 8 Olivia LittleJim - Oklahoma
No. 13 Sarah Bartley - Seattle
No. 25 Mac Russ - Air Force
No. 12 Brynn Chandler - Gonzaga
No. 8 Cara McKenzie - Gonzaga