BOISE, Idaho – For the second straight day at the Boise State Classic, Gonzaga volleyball took a third set victory to try and push a reverse sweep but were denied in the fourth set. On Sunday, the tournament-host Broncos bounced back after the Zags' decisive set-three win to seal the match 25-12, 25-18, 20-25, 25-13.
Boise State (6-3) was off to a hot start in the first, utilizing some strong offensive and defensive performances. A dozen team kills and a .435 hitting percentage gave Gonzaga (1-7) troubles, while four total team blocks, led by three from Annie Kaminski made it tough for the Zags to keep pace.
GU kept things closer early in the second, but the Broncos' Paige Bartsch began to heat up with an errorless, seven-kill showing to lead BSU to a 2-0 advantage. Boise State outhit Gonzaga .481 to .194 in set two, despite the trio of
Hayley Ogden,
Raechelle Dykstra, and
Taylor Walsh combining for seven Bulldog kills.
Facing a sweep for the second-straight day, Gonzaga once again did not back down in the third.
Autumn Larson came to life on offense for the Zags, notching six kills on a .364 hitting percentage while adding a service ace and three digs. Perhaps the biggest plays in the third came from
Nia Damuni, who snuck in a setter dump before stealing an errant Bronco pass for a kill late in the set before Larson's service ace sealed the 25-20 win.
Gonzaga would need another set like the third to push the match to five, but Boise State went back to work to quiet the GU rally. Breaking a 6-6 tie in the fourth, BSU's Bartsch led a 6-0 Bronco run to put the Bulldogs on their heels. A pair of 3-0 runs helped complete the win for Boise State, who hit .333 in the final set to bring their match average to .328.
Dykstra was the kill leader on Sunday for Gonzaga with 12, followed closely with 11 from Larson. On the defensive side, four Zags each notched a pair of blocks: Damuni,
Maggie Rickert, Ogden, and Walsh.
UP NEXT
Gonzaga returns to the Martin Centre to wrap up their nonconference schedule Sept. 20-21. The Zags will welcome San Diego State and Eastern Washington for the second straight season in the Gonzaga Invitational.
