Nov. 13, 2014 Final Stats
Box Score: Pepperdine 3, USF 1 
November 13, 2014
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MALIBU, Calif. - A well-balanced attack that saw five players in double-figure scoring sent the Pepperdine women's volleyball team past San Francisco, 3-1 on Thursday evening. The Waves were led by Katie Messing with a match-high 19 kills, and Becca Strehlow who dished a tied-for-career-best 58 assists.
Although the Dons (12-15, 5-10 West Coast Conference) stole the first set away 26-24, the Waves rallied back to take the next three sets, 25-16, 25-23, 25-16. Pepperdine improves to 10-16 on the year, and 5-9 in league matches.
Strehlow (Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow Wilson HS) averaged a monstrous 14.50 assists per set and matched a career-best with the 58 total helpers. She had previously handed out 58 assists in a 3-2 win at Saint Mary's last season. The junior setter also added a team-high 18 digs and two blocks on the defensive end.
The Waves' offense shined this evening, and with four players with double-figure totals in kills, the team out-killed USF 69-47.
Messing (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands HS) led all hitters with 19 kills, while Jillian Bergeson (Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood HS) followed with 17 earned at a .310 (17 kills-4 errors-42 attempts) clip. Bergeson earned her 11th double-double of the season as well, finishing the night with 13 digs.
Pepperdine got a huge boost from Gaby Palmeri (Davis, Calif./St. Francis HS) and Olivia Okoro (Carrollton, Texas/Hebron HS/Tennessee). Palmeri, swinging from the opposite side, tallied 10 kills off of 20 errorless attempts. Okoro played in the middle and charted 11 kills after 17 chances with just two miscues. Both her kills total and her hitting percentage of .529 count as new career highs.
Samantha Cash (San Diego, Calif./Canyon Crest Academy) was the fifth player to score in doubles figures. The middle blocker charted nine kills and four blocks for 11.5 points.
The Waves and Dons battled back-and-forth the entire first set. Tied at 23, USF sided out with a kill to take set point, but Messing negated it with a kill of her own. Jessica Gaffney, who led her team with 15 kills in the match, answered with another put away. Jurja Vlasic was then subbed in to serve, and deposited an ace on the end line to secure the frame 26-24.
Although San Francisco opened the second set on a 6-2 run, Pepperdine rallied back and eventually overtook the lead at 14-13. Chanel Brown (Tempe, Ariz./Valley Christian HS/Arizona) served her team to four more unanswered points and USF was never able to recover. With a final kill from Messing - her eighth of the set - the Waves won 25-16 to head into the intermission all tied 1-1.
The Dons maintained a small advantage for most of the pivotal third frame, leading by three late 18-15. Palmeri then sent down a kill that sparked a 4-0 run that tipped the scales in the Waves' favor. A sideout game followed. Up 24-23 with Cash serving, Brown came up with a crucial dig that led to a Messing kill and the Waves claimed a 2-1 overall lead.
Pepperdine carried the momentum over into the fourth, and quickly went ahead 19-12. Messing and Bergeson combined for 10 kills, and the Waves cruised to victory 25-16.
Brown finished the match with 11 digs.
Katie Lespier (Huntington Beach, Calif./Huntington Beach HS) returned to the starting lineup and picked up eight digs from the libero position.
Kelli Gerrans (Los Gatos, Calif./Archbishop Mitty HS) made her first collegiate start this evening,
The Waves continue the week with their final road match of the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 15 at #25 Santa Clara.
