SPOKANE, Wash. – Hosting Oregon State in their annual Dig Pink match, Gonzaga volleyball took a 2-1 lead before the Beavers battled back for the 3-2 win on Saturday inside the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre. The Zags nearly had five different hitters record double-digit digs, led by 15 from Autumn Larson.
 
Oregon State (5-12, 3-4 WCC) was led by Annika Hester who led the match with 25 kills on a .340 hitting percentage. The Beavers outhit the Bulldogs 62-52 and collected nine service aces over Gonzaga's (1-16, 0-7 WCC) seven.
 
It was GU's defense that ignited sets two and three as Jody Smith led the way with seven total blocks. Five of those seven were solo blocks, marking the most in a single match since Meredith Crenshaw posted five on Sept. 3, 2011. As a team, Gonzaga recorded ten solo blocks, which was the most since Feb. 5, 2021 in the Zags' Covid-19 Spring season when they notched 12 at Pacific.
 
Larson's 15 kills was the most among GU hitters, while Maggie Rickert, Smith, and Raechelle Dysktra each posted nine, followed by eight from Taylor Walsh. Nia Damuni orchestrated the Gonzaga offense on Saturday, recording yet another double-double on 42 assists and 12 digs, adding a pair of solo blocks and five service aces.
 
After dropping the opening set 25-18, Gonzaga battled for 25-21 and 25-18 wins in the second and third sets to put Oregon State on their heels. Eight of Larson's 15 kills came amidst GU's hot stretch. In a tough fourth set, the Beavers took a lead as big as seven before the Zags brought the score even at 21. OSU's Hester was the difference in set four, picking up a pair of kills late to earn the 25-22 win and send the match to a tiebreaking fifth set.
 
GU and OSU traded 3-0 runs to open the fifth. It was the Beavers, however, who would break a 4-4 tie and never look back. Opening up a 12-7 lead force a Gonzaga timeout, but by then it was too late. Hester added two more kills to her match total of 25 to complete the comeback win for Oregon State.
 
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Gonzaga will be home on Thursday to face Santa Clara at 6 p.m. before hitting the road on Saturday to face Washington State in Pullman.