Nov. 1, 2014 Final Stats | Photo Gallery 
Box Score: Pepperdine 3, Gonzaga 0 
MALIBU, Calif. - The Pepperdine women's volleyball team finished the week's action with its second-straight shutout, defeating Gonzaga in three sets, 26-24, 25-18, 25-18. Senior Katie Messing surpassed the 1,000 career kills milestone, becoming the 17th Wave in program history to achieve the feat.
Messing (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands HS) unloaded 13 kills on the Zags (14-8, 5-6 West Coast Conference) today, with her fifth of the day counting for No. 1,000. She is the first Pepperdine player to post 1,000 kills since Lilla Frederick and reigning FIVB World Championship MVP Kim Hill did so in 2011.
For good measure, Messing added 11 digs for her fifth double-double of the season.
Samantha Cash (San Diego, Calif./Canyon Crest Academy) was unstoppable for the Waves (9-15, 4-8 WCC). The senior middle blocker swung at a season-high .733 hitting percentage, with 11 kills off of 15 errorless attempts. She also tied her career high with four aces - all in first set - and added three blocks for a match-high 17 points.
As a team, Pepperdine continued its upward trend of offensive tenacity. After hitting .365 (43 kills-5 errors-104 attempts) on Thursday vs. Portland, which included a season-low five attack errors, the Waves swung at a season-high .386 (52-8-114) clip today against the Zags.
Becca Strehlow (Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow Wilson HS) spread the offense out effectively and was credited with 43 assists. Both Strehlow and libero Allie Loitz (Bonita, Calif./Bonita Vista HS) picked up a team-best 12 digs.
Jillian Bergeson (Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood HS) had a solid afternoon, matching Messing with 13 kills while adding three aces and nine digs.
At the other pin, Gaby Palmeri (Davis, Calif./St. Francis HS) tacked down nine kills following 17 swings and no errors for a season-high .529 hitting percentage. Olivia Okoro (Carrollton, Texas/Hebron HS/Tennessee) rounded out the scoring with five kills and three blocks.
The Waves kept the Gonzaga serve receive on its toes, handing out eight aces and forcing countless more less-than-perfect passes. The Bulldogs finished the afternoon hitting .254 (42-43-114), led by WCC kills leader Savannah Blinn with 14 put aways.
The two squads went point-for-point with one another to open the first set. After Messing sided out with a kill, Cash stepped to the service line and scattered three-straight aces to give her team the 17-13 edge. Although the Zags would even the score back up at 19, Pepperdine continued to play strong.
Messing gave the Waves their first set point with her 1,000th career kill, and their third set point with kill No. 1,001. Cash then sealed the deal with her fourth ace of the frame, 26-24.
Pepperdine would never trail in set two, and quickly climbed ahead 14-9. Cash once again served her team out of the set, and the Waves wrapped up the frame on a 4-0 run. A tandem block courtesy of Messing and Okoro clinched the set at 25-18.
The Waves' defense was relentless in the third, as they out-dug Gonzaga 21-10 to drive down its hitting percentage. Pepperdine led by as much as eight, 20-12, and cruised to victory, 25-18. Strehlow and Cash teamed up for a rejection at match point, while Bergeson led the offensive charge with six kills.
Messing now sits in 17th place in the Pepperdine program record book for her career kill tally of 1,008. She's just nine kills shy of overtaking Carrie Romer (1993-96) for 16th place.
Next up, Pepperdine faces Wells Fargo PCH Cup rival Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles on Saturday, November 8.
