SPOKANE, Wash. – The Gonzaga women's volleyball team took a 2-1 advantage after three sets in the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre on Thursday evening, but Santa Clara battled back with two straight sets to take the 3-2 victory, 25-15, 24-26, 22-25, 25-19, 15-11.
 
THE ACTION
First Set – Santa Clara, 25-15

• Santa Clara (10-12, 2-8 West Coast Conference) took an early 7-3 lead in the first, but Jody Smith ignited Gonzaga (3-17, 0-9 WCC) with a kill and an ace to bring GU within two. Fallon Thompson and Nia Damuni walled up for a block to continue the Zags' 3-0 run.
• Trailing 12-8, Autumn Larson picked up her second kill of the set to halt a Bronco run, but SCU continued to expand to a 16-9 lead.
• Gonzaga cut into the Santa Clara lead with kills from Maggie Rickert and Smith, followed by an SCU attack error. Later, a Smith block and Thompson kill brought the Zags within seven (22-15), but a quick 3-0 run sealed the first set win for the Broncos, 25-15.

Second Set – Gonzaga, 26-24

• Despite trailing 5-2 early, Gonzaga stormed back with three straight points to knot the score at five behind a Smith kill and Larson solo block. Santa Clara answered with one, but three more from GU put them up 8-6.
• Rickert began to heat up in the second set as Gonzaga trailed 12-10. Three kills in the span of five Bulldog points had the home crowd on their feet heading into the media timeout, GU leading 15-14. Rickert got her fourth and fifth kills of the set, and Smith picked up another service ace to bring the score to a 19-19 tie.
• The Broncos put together a 3-0 run to take a 24-22 lead, but the Zags did not back down from an SCU set point. Grace Ehler started the GU rally with a kill, and Juliette Russell followed with one of her own to tie the score once again at 24-24. Larson took her turn with a pair of her own as the 4-0 run gave the Bulldogs the set (26-24) to even the score at 1-1.

Third Set – Gonzaga, 25-22

• Santa Clara jumped out to a quick 7-1 lead and forced an early Gonzaga timeout in the third set. The Zags would chip away with a 4-0 run thanks to another Russell kill and some miscues by the Broncos. A Larson kill, a Nia Damuni/Smith block, and a Rickert kill gave GU their first lead of the set. Damuni followed with a set dump to give the Bulldogs a 12-10 edge.
• The kills continued to rain down from the Gonzaga hitters. Rickert dropped a pair, before Ehler, Russell, and Smith joined the party with kills of their own. Smith and Rickert provided some scoring on all fronts, teaming up for a block before a Rickert kill and a Smith ace put Gonzaga up 21-17 looking to take the lead in the match.
• Leading 21-19, the offense continued to pour it on with kills from Ehler, Rickert, Rickert (again), and Larson to secure back-to-back sets and 2-1 advantage over SCU.

Fourth Set – Santa Clara, 25-19

• Like the third, Santa Clara raced ahead to a 9-3 run behind kills from Layla Truitt and Oren Abutbul. Just as they did before, GU responded to chip away at the Bronco lead, getting as close as three (12-9).
• SCU responded with six straight points to blow open a nine point lead. Russell and Larson aided in the efforts to close the gap, but Santa Clara continued to stretch their lead, now up 24-14 and at set point.
• Ehler put the ball back into GU's hands with another kill, as Damuni stepped to the service line. The freshman setter tacked on two aces, paired with a couple of Bronco attack errors to bring the score to 24-19. Her fifth serve sailed just long over the baseline to thwart the GU rally and send the match to a deciding fifth set.

Fifth Set – Santa Clara, 15-11

• Santa Clara opened the fifth with a service error, and Rickert notched her 14th kill as Gonzaga took a quick 2-0 lead. Elena Radeff and Truitt responded for SCU with kills of their own to bring the score to a 2-2 tie. Rickert recorded number 15, GU now leading 3-2.
• Trailing 6-4, the Zags rattled off four straight points behind a Smith kill, Russell ace, Smith block, and Rickert's 16th kill, taking an 8-6 advantage as the teams switched sides.
• The Broncos came out of the timeout with four straight points in response, now leading 10-8. A service error brought GU within one, but kills from Radeff and Abutbul put SCU back in the driver's seat. Rickert's 17th and final kill stopped their rally, but Abutbul put another one down to force a Gonzaga timeout, leading 13-10.
• The Bulldogs got one back out of the timeout from a Santa Clara service error, but Layla Truitt and Nive Tuileta stepped up in back-to-back rallies to block Rickert's next two attacks and send the Broncos home with a 3-2 win.

 
QUICK STATS

• Freshman hitter Maggie Rickert recorded a new career-high 17 kills to lead the Gonzaga offense. Only Santa Clara's Elena Radeff had more on the night. Rickert's 11 digs earns the Tennessee native's first double-double of her young career.
• Sophomore Autumn Larson also picked up double digit kills in Thursday night's five-set battle. She added four digs and two blocks in her efforts.
• Grace Ehler, Juliette Russell, and Jody Smith each picked up six kills for GU. Ehler's .462 attack percentage led the way.
• Alisa Kim added 24 digs on defense, her second-highest mark of the season (29, Air Force, Sept. 1). Nia Damuni added 13 digs and 39 assists as well.

 
UP NEXT
Gonzaga remains at home for a mid-day match on Saturday against San Francisco. First serve is set for 12 p.m.
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