SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga volleyball (2-4) found its rhythm in its final game of the GU Invitational at the Martin Centre on Saturday afternoon, coming away with a four-set win (25-19, 22-25, 25-16, 25-22).
Hughes was the Zags' primary catalyst in the first set, connecting on kills for GU's first two points and finishing with five errorless attempts. GU surged late, scoring eight of the last 10 points in the set — with two apiece from Thiros and Hughes — before a thunderous block from Hughes put the Matadors away 25-22.
CSUN took its largest lead of the day in the second set after a 6-0 run put them up 10-7, and connected on 16 kills in the process to nullify a game-high .320 hitting percentage for the Bulldogs en route to their first set win. Both teams tied 11 times in the second set, but saw only three lead changes.
The Bulldogs wasted no time taking control in the third, beginning the set with a 4-0 run for a cushion they wouldn't relinquish. Another 6-0 run — this time with three Matador attack errors — put GU up 11-4, and the lead only grew thanks to three kills apiece from Hughes, Thiros and Croft as the Zags ran away with the set by a score of 25-16.
In a decisive fourth set, CSUN put up more of a fight, going up 10-8 on a five-point swing that saw three consecutive kills before a 5-0 run from the Bulldogs capped off by an ace from Croft retook control and put the Zags in the driver's seat to close. Croft scored the final two points of the game with back-to-back kills that kept the Matadors from forcing set five.
Croft, Marshall make All-Tourney Team
Kennedy Croft and McKenna Marshall were the Zags' two representatives on the GU Invitational All-Tournament team, announced after the conclusion of the event's final game.
Croft broke the program record for Rally Era aces over the weekend with a four-ace performance against Idaho State. The graduate outside hitter racked up 34 kills over the weekend, along with four block assists, two solo blocks and 38 total digs.
Marshall led the team in four categories against Nevada on Friday — blocks, digs, kills and aces — and finished the weekend with 59 digs and 18 kills.
