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Pepperdine University Athletics

Team
Sarah Otteman
0
Gonzaga GON 3-8, 3-8
3
Winner Pepperdine PEP 8-2, 8-1
Gonzaga GON
3-8, 3-8
0
Final
3
Pepperdine PEP
8-2, 8-1
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Gonzaga GON 14 19 20 (0)
Pepperdine PEP 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | by Athletic Communications

Offense Powers #25 Waves to Sweep Over Gonzaga

MALIBU, Calif. — The #25 Pepperdine women's volleyball team hit the court in Firestone Fieldhouse on Friday afternoon for the first time since earning a spot in the AVCA national rankings and did not disappoint, sweeping past West Coast Conference opponent Gonzaga with 25-14, 25-19 and 25-20 final set scores. 
 
A strong attack presence, led by playmaker Isabel Zelaya who tabbed a double-double after dishing out 38 assists and 12 digs and pushed the Waves to a .330 collective success rate, helped get the victory.  Shannon Scully, Emma Ammerman and Rachel Ahrens each hit for double-figure kills with over .400 clips.  Scully worked for 15 kills on a .469, Ammerman for 12 smashes on a .478 and Ahrens, who also posted a season-high five aces, amassed 10 kills on a .400.
 
The Waves advance to 8-2 overall and 8-1 in the league with the win.  Pepperdine and Gonzaga will face again tomorrow, Saturday, March 6 at 2:30 p.m.  The match will stream live with WaveCasts on The WCC Network.
 
BIG WAVES
Shannon Scully (Huntington Beach, Calif./Mater Dei HS/Utah): 15 kills, .469 hitting %, 9 digs
Emma Ammerman (Parker, Colo./Chaparral HS): 12 kills, .478 hitting %
Rachel Ahrens (Trabuco Canyon, Calif./Tesoro HS): 10 kills, .400 hitting %, 5 aces, 2 blocks
Isabel Zelaya (Tomball, Texas/Concordia Lutheran HS): 38 assists, 12 digs, 2 blocks
Madison Shields (El Dorado Hills, Calif./Oak Ridge HS): 12 digs, 3 assists
Meg Brown (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS): 5 kills, 3 blocks
Alli O'Harra (Boise, Idaho/Centennial HS): 3 kills, 2 blocks
Kayla Joyce (Chico, Calif./Pleasant Valley HS/FRC/CSU Chico): 6 digs
Kayleigh Hames (Maryville, Tenn./Webb School of Knoxville): 4 digs
 


WAVES VS. BULLDOGS
Overall, Pepperdine collected 46 smashes on a .330 clip with 5.0 team blocks, 50 digs and five aces, while giving up 31 kills on a .119 output with 4.0 team blocks, 48 digs and five aces. 
 
The Waves came out swinging in the first set, amassing the team's best offensive set with 17 kills and only two errors on 42 swings for a .357 clip to open the match.  Pepperdine also collected .300 and .333 hitting percentages in the second and third sets, while allowing the Zags .216, .098 and .032 hitting percentages in each set. 
 
PEPPERDINE ATTACK BY SET
Set       K          E          TA        Pct
1          17        2          42        .357
2          16        4          40        .300
3          13        4          27        .333
TTL      46        10        109      .330
 
GONZAGA ATTACK BY SET
Set       K          E          TA        Pct
1          11        3          37        .216
2          10        6          41        .098
3          10        9          31        .032
TTL      31        18        109      .119
 


PLAY-BY-PLAY
After going point-for-point to start the match up to a 6-6 tied score, Kayla Joyce at the service line helped propel the Waves to a 4-1 run and the home team pulled ahead 11-7.  Multiple kills from each Shannon Scully, Emma Ammerman and Rachel Ahrens helped the cause throughout the set and the Waves found themselves leading 21-10 late in the action.  A kill from Meg Brown put Pepperdine at set point and a final smash by Scully sealed the deal with a 25-14 set win to open things up.
 
The Waves used the momentum from the first set to pull ahead with an early 6-2 lead in the second.  Two nearly back-to-back service aces from Ahrens, her fourth and fifth of the match, helped keep the energy on the home side and pushed Pepperdine to a 10-4 advantage.  The opposition closed the gap to within two-points at the 15-13 mark, but an Ahrens, Alli O'Harra block and a kill from Ammerman kept the edge with the Waves.  It was a lead the squad would use to push towards a 25-19 set win and 2-0 lead heading into the third.
 
The third set was different from the first two during the open, as the Zags worked ahead to a 7-2 early lead.  Pepperdine rallied back through and kills from Scully and Ammerman tied things up at 7's after a 5-0 Waves' run.  After going point-for-point with another Ahrens, O'Harra block and more smashes from Ammerman, the Waves broke ahead towards a 22-17 lead.  Ahrens, Isabel Zelaya and Ammerman each got another offensive mark to close things down with a 25-20 final set score for the sweep. 
 
NEXT UP
The Waves will face the Zags once again tomorrow, March 6 at 2:30 p.m. PT in Malibu.  Next week, Pepperdine will make the trip up North to take on Portland in a pair of matches on March 12 and 13.  The match will be live streamed and have live stats available on www.PepperdineWaves.com.
 
HOME ATTENDANCE
Per the current COVID-19 guidelines set by the state of California and Los Angeles County, fans will not be permitted to attend home games in Firestone Fieldhouse.
 
FOLLOW
Follow the Waves on Facebook and Twitter, @WavesVolleyball, and follow the team on Instagram, @peppvolley.  Get all the most recent schedules, results and more on www.PepperdineWaves.com.
 
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