LA JOLLA, Calif. – In their 2024 season-opening match, Gonzaga volleyball picked up a commanding 3-0 win over Southern Utah inside LionTree Arena in La Jolla, Calif., on Friday. The match was the first of three for the Zags on the weekend at the UC San Diego Invitational, hosted by the University of California San Diego.
 
Gonzaga (1-0) never trailed in the first set, opening up as large as a seven-point lead. Southern Utah (0-2) would pull within four points but by then it was too late. Five kills from Maggie Rickert and three from Fallon Thompson led the Bulldog offense, while Hayley Ogden added four block assists to keep the Thunderbird offense at bay and give GU the 25-20 win.
 
Set two was a back-and-forth affair for Gonzaga and Southern Utah as neither side led by more than four at any point. Despite 11 ties, only two lead changes occurred in the second set as the Zags had answers for just about anything the Thunderbirds threw at them. Raechelle Dykstra and SUU's Finley Charapata traded blows in the final moments of the set to knot the score at 25, but a final kill from Fallon Thompson and an SUU attack error put GU in a 2-0 advantage with a 27-25 win.
 
Rickert added eight more kills in the set-two nail-biter as part of a balanced offensive barrage that saw Dykstra (3), Parker Austin (2), Ogden (2), and Thompson (1) each pick up kills.
 
Looking to open their season with a sweep, Gonzaga quickly found themselves with a 6-2 lead in the third set, thanks to a trio of kills from Thompson amidst a 6-0 GU run. Despite efforts from Southern Utah's front row, the Zags' balanced offense continued to push them closer to the win.
 
A steady ten-point advantage blossomed after a kill from Rickert sent Gonzaga on a 5-0 run. Despite final efforts from Southern Utah, GU would hang on for the 25-15 win in set three to close out an impressive showing in their season opener.
 
Rickert added seven digs in the final set to secure a double-double with 15 kills and 11 digs. Thompson notched six kills in set three to pull herself into double figures, finishing with ten on the day and a .769 attack percentage. With the help of six kills from Austin and seven from both Odgen and Dysktra, the GU offense hit at a .363 clip on Friday. Nia Damuni racked up 36 assists with six digs in her season opener.
 
UP NEXT
The Zags will take on Northern Arizona on Saturday at 1 p.m. inside LionTree Arena. Streaming will not be available for Saturday's match. Live stats will be available at www.GoZags.com, with updates provided on social media at @ZagVolleyball.