SPOKANE, Wash. — Extending its win streak to eight matches, the Pepperdine women's volleyball team (16-7, 10-2 West Coast Conference) swept the upstart Gonzaga Bulldogs (12-10, 5-6 West Coast Conference) on Thursday night.
To sweep the Bulldogs, the Waves not only prevailed in their longest set of the year, but also fended off a raucous crowd of 900 Gonzaga fans in the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre.
"In front of a nice home crowd, we came out aggressively and put some pressure on the opponent," Pepperdine head coach Scott Wong said. "Gonzaga responded with some good volleyball and it was fun to see us fight back and then control the match with some really steady all-around play."
Maggie Beauer finished in double-figures for the 13th time this season with 11 kills, while reigning West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Week Ella Piskorz chipped in nine kills and a team-high five total blocks. Tristen Raymond ran the offense with 30 assists, while Chloe Pravednikov and Laine Briggs tied the team high with 13 digs apiece.
Pepperdine was firing on all cylinders to begin the match, rattling off a 5-0 run that featured back-to-back aces from Piskorz to go up 10-3. Thanks to Piskorz's five-kill set and the block keeping Gonzaga's Sjakke Donkers — one of the best hitters in the West Coast Conference — in check, Pepperdine took a six-point lead into the later stages of the set. The Waves sided out with a Beauer kill, Raymond served up an ace and a Gonzaga error made the score 21-15 in favor of the Waves.
But the Waves were not out of the woods yet. Spurred on by their home crowd, the Bulldogs went on a 6-0 run to tie the score at 21, then eventually took a 23-22 lead off an Autumn Larson ace. Suddenly, the first set was in jeopardy.
Piskorz gave the Waves their first of five set points at 24-23, yet Gonzaga wouldn't fold. As the set went the distance, the Bulldogs had two set point opportunities, but fortunately for the Waves, Gonzaga couldn't capitalize. With the score tied at 29, Gonzaga's Raechelle Dykstra's swing on the left side appeared to be a kill, however, the Pepperdine bench challenged the call and the kill was overruled. That pivotal reversal gave the Waves their fifth and final set point, which was won off a Pravednikov kill on the left side.
Deflated by losing the marathon set, Gonzaga fell behind early in the second set and the Waves took advantage. Emma McMahon started behind the service line and capped off an opening 4-0 run with an ace that forced Gonzaga to call timeout. Pepperdine never trailed the rest of the way, extending its lead to six with a Piskorz solo block at 18-11. Yet again, Gonzaga attempted a comeback with a 6-0 run to put pressure on the Waves. But a trifecta of Beauer kills late in the frame, then swings from Raymond and Vanessa Polk kept the Bulldogs at arm's length. A service error on match point wrapped up Pepperdine's 25-20 second-set win.
The Waves saved their most efficient set for last, posting a .312 hitting percentage to Gonzaga's .176 clip. Although the Bulldogs won several lengthy rallies early in the set, strong serving from McMahon and Raymond helped Pepperdine pull away midway through the frame. Neither team led by more than three points until Piskorz's third and final ace of the evening gave the Waves a 19-15 advantage. Several key blocks from Irelynd Lorenzen, Polk and a solo block from Pravednikov kept the Bulldogs from coming back in the set before Polk finished off the 25-21 third-set win with her eighth kill of the evening.
The Waves head south to take on Washington State for a 1 p.m. match on Saturday. All schedule updates can be found on the women's volleyball team's schedule page on pepperdinewaves.com.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Pepperdine women's volleyball has reached 26 NCAA Tournaments since 1981 as one of the most successful collegiate programs on the West Coast. The 12-time WCC Champions Waves have consistently produced top talent with 21 All-American selections with honorees in six straight decades. With multiple Olympians going through the program, Kim Hill brought home the program's first gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games.
