Waves End Road Schedule with 3-0 Sweep of Gonzaga
11/14/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 14, 2004
Final Stats
MALIBU, Calif. - Pepperdine's women's volleyball team overcame late deficits in all three of its games Saturday night in Spokane, Wash., but rallied in them all to pull off the 3-0 sweep over Gonzaga 30-25, 30-25, 30-26.
Pepperdine (10-13, 7-5 WCC) got 16 kills from senior Kristen Shultz and 10 from Kristin McClune, while senior Christina Hinds logged a match-best, 21 digs from the libero position.
The Bulldogs (4-23, 0-13 WCC) failed to have a player record a double-figure kill effort as three players finished the night with negative hitting percentages.
Trailing 8-6, Gonzaga used a 7-0 run to build a 13-8 advantage. Pepperdine would slowly chip away at the `Zags' lead and even the game up at 18-all on a Lecca Roberts kill. The two squads exchanged points and the lead until a Melissa Mehlhorn kill put the Waves up by a 25-24 count. Two points later, Gonzaga would get a kill to pull back within one, 26-25 but another Shultz kill followed by a Pepperdine block would send the Waves to a 4-0 run and close out the game.
Pepperdine spotted the `Zags leads of 6-0 and 8-1 when again Shultz would provide the spark needed to get the Waves back on track. Five Gonzaga miscues aided a 7-0 Pepperdine run as the Waves took its first lead of game two, 9-8. The teams traded sideouts over the next few balls until Gonzaga began to pull away with the score even at 12-12. The Bulldogs would lead by as many as six, 21-15 in the latter stages of the game until Pepperdine ran off eight consecutive points to finish the game and take a 2-0 lead into the intermission.
The Waves would need another late run to close out the match and they were up for it. With the teams even through the first 28 points, Gonzaga built up a 22-16 advantage. A McClune kill sent Pepperdine on a 4-0, which tied the game up at 25-all but the Waves were not done there. The run would reach 9-0 before a Waves' attack error gave Gonzaga its final point of the night. Fittingly, a Shultz kill concluded the road portion of Pepperdine's 2004 schedule.
The Waves will close out the season next weekend at Firestone Fieldhouse as #19 San Diego and #22 Santa Clara make the trip to Malibu. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (PT) for both matches with Saturday's contest serving as senior night for Hinds and Shultz. Hinds will look to become Pepperdine's all-time digs leader needing just 28 digs over the final two matches.
