SPOKANE, Wash.- Gonzaga Volleyball rallied to win a five set thriller against San Francisco on Saturday, overcoming deficits in both the fourth and fifth set on the way to victory.

The Zags dropped the first set before they stormed back to convincingly capture the second set, which was highlighted by a run of three service aces from Taylor Walsh. This was the second straight game in which the Bulldogs logged a run of three straight aces.

Successful service was one of the key deciding factors in the game today, as the Zags had 13 aces to only 5 from the Dons. This performance tied for sixth most aces by the Zags in a single game in the rally scoring era. These aces were especially powered by Taylor Walsh, who logged six aces, tied for second most in a game by a Zag in rally scoring.

While the Zags were powered by serves, the Dons mostly relied on blocks for many of their points, carrying a massive 16-5 advantage in blocks in the match. This was led by Sina Toroslu, who had seven block assists on the afternoon. The Dons captured the third set largely because of this success, holding GU to only a .091 hitting percentage in the third.

The tenacity of Bulldog volleyball was on display in the final frame, as the Zags dug out of a 9-2 to tie the set at 13 apiece. Two straight kills from Kelly McAuley iced the game in extra points as the Zags won the fifth set 16-14. Walsh impressed beyond just the aforementioned aces today, capturing 11 further kills and two blocks. Two other Zags logged double digit kills, as McAuley scored 14 and Sjakkie Donkers tallied 18. Nia Damuni had 49 assists while Carina Zaldivar led the team with 15 digs. A total team effort in everything from aces to assists helped the Zags to victory in front of a raucous crowd in the Martin Centre.

The Zags will be away from home next week as they begin their road slate of conference matches, traveling to Washington State and Oregon State. This will be a familiar trip, as both teams will be joining the Zags in the new PAC-12 next year.