Oct. 6, 2016 Final Stats
PHOTO GALLERY | HIGHLIGHTS
MALIBU, Calif. — The Pepperdine women's volleyball team lost in four sets this Thursday night, falling to West Coast Conference opponents Gonzaga in Firestone Fieldhouse after 25-22, 19-25, 25-19 and 25-18 final set scores.
Three players posted double-figure kills and the Waves (7-10, 1-4 WCC) had five career-best performances throughout the night, but ultimately the home team's .199 hitting percentage was not enough to pick up the win. Gonzaga (10-5, 3-2 WCC) hit for a .225 success rate with 63 kills and posted only eight team blocks and two aces compared to Pepperdine's 11.0 team blocks and four aces.
Freshman Jasmine Gross (Portland, Ore./Jesuit HS) led the Waves in a multitude of categories, posting a team-high six blocks and two aces and amassing a career-high .611 attack output on a career-best 11 kills with no errors in 18 swings.
Sophomore Heidi Dyer (San Clemente, Calif./Saddleback Valley Christian HS) picked up her 9th career double-double with 10 kills, on a .281 success rate, and 29 kills. She also added seven digs and two blocks throughout the night. Junior Ashley Harris (Petaluma, Calif./Casa Grande HS/Arizona) led the team with a career-best 12 kills after posting a .286 hitting percentage and adding three blocks.
Junior Ashley Morgan (Anaheim Hills, Calif./Canyon HS) and Hana Lishman (Kailua, Hawai'i/Punahou School) led the Waves with 18 digs apiece, a career-best for Morgan as she had previously posted 17 digs in three consecutive matches. Sophomore Tarah Wylie (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral HS) also was good for five blocks, nine kills and an ace. Sophomore Nikki Lyons (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas HS) added six kills, nine digs and three blocks and freshman Hannah Frohling (Edmond, Okla./Edmond North HS) finished the night with five kills, four digs, three blocks and an ace.
The teams went point-for-point for a few possessions to start the match 4-4, but the Zags pulled ahead shortly after to a two-point 8-6 lead. Pepperdine rallied at the 11-11 and 14-14 marks, but the opposition always seemed to have the momentum and eventually worked to a 20-16 advantage. The Waves battled back yet again to tie the set at 22's, but the Bulldogs then closed the door to take the 1-0 set advantage on a 25-22 set one win.
The Waves commanded the start of the second set, amassing an 8-2 lead with the help of blocks from Harris, Gross, Wylie and Lyons and back-to-back kills from Harris. A strong offensive helped the Bulldogs work back into the set, however, and even the score at the 11-11 mark. After a tie at 14's, the opposition once again pulled ahead and gave no let up to the Waves, putting the set away 25-19.
Determined to win the next set to stay in the match, the Waves started with a 7-2 run helped by three kills and an ace from Gross. Pepperdine continued to pound down en route to a 12-3 lead, but the opposition battled back to close the gap to a four-point deficit at the 13-9 mark. That would be the closest the Bulldogs would come, though, as the Waves continued to lay down the heavy swings towards a 25-19 set victory.
With the set score 2-1 in the Zags favor, the Waves were looking to come out big. Pepperdine and Gonzaga both exchanged leads to start the set, until the 11-11 mark when the opposition worked ahead. The Waves stayed within a two-point deficit to a 17-15 score, but then the Bulldogs pulled out in front and kept finding the floor until the final 25-18 set score put the home team under.
Next, Pepperdine will remain in Malibu to host Portland at 1 p.m. in Firestone Fieldhouse on October 8. Find live stats and stream here: http://gowav.es/2bT5hVh. Follow the Waves on Facebook and Twitter @WavesVolleyball for immediate updates, recaps and more.
