SAN DIEGO, Calif. – San Diego volleyball completed a clean 3-0 sweep over Gonzaga on Thursday inside Jenny Craig Pavilion. The Toreros opened with a comfortable win in the first set, but the Zags battled toe to toe with USD, coming up just short in the second before falling in the form of a sweep. San Diego would complete the sweep 25-13, 25-21, 25-17 on senior night.
 
San Diego (17-8, 12-3 WCC) outhit Gonzaga (1-24, 0-15) 18-8 in the opening frame, led by seven kills from Ella Durham. USD's lead slowly began to build at the halfway mark, entering the media timeout leading 15-9. They reached their largest lead of 12 at 23-11 before finishing off the win with Durham's seventh kill.
 
The Bulldogs came out swinging in the second set as a back-and forth battle ensued. Gonzaga and San Diego saw ten ties in set two, but it would be the Toreros who came out on top with the 25-21 win. GU led 20-19 late in the second, but a 6-1 surge from USD would make the difference. Raechelle Dykstra picked up six kills to lead the Zags, while Autumn Larson added five. San Diego's Kristen Erland was the offensive leader with seven in set two.
 
In another close battle early in the third, Gonzaga entered the media timeout trailing by just one. San Diego continued to cling to the one-point lead, 18-17, before putting the Bulldogs away with a 7-0 run. Isabel Clark closed the match with back-to-back kills for USD.
 
Larson and Dykstra each recorded nine kills on Thursday to lead the Bulldogs, while Hayley Ogden added six and hit .385. For San Diego, three hitters finished in double figures, led by 14 from Erland who swung a .565 hitting percentage. As a team, USD hit .419 while holding GU to just a .193 clip.
 
UP NEXT
Gonzaga will face Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Bulldogs and Lions will battle on ESPN+, with live stats available at www.gozags.com.