Oct. 14, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Match 21
Gonzaga at #16 Pepperdine
Thursday, Oct. 16 - 7 p.m.
Live Stats & Live Video: PepperdineSports.com
Match 22
Gonzaga at Loyola Marymount
Saturday, Oct. 18 - 1 p.m.
Gametracker & Live Video: LMULions.com
THIS WEEK: The Gonzaga University women's volleyball team looks to break its five-match losing streak when it hits the road for two West Coast Conference matches. The Bulldogs play at Pepperdine University, ranked 16th in the latest AVCA Top 25 poll, on Thursday at 7 p.m. and will then meet Loyola Marymount University on Saturday at 1 p.m.
BULLDOGS DROP THREE LAST WEEK: Gonzaga University women's volleyball opened the home portion of its West Coast Conference slate with 3-0 setbacks to both Saint Mary's College and Santa Clara University. The Bulldogs fell to 0-4 in conference action with the back-to-back home loses and have only won one set so far in WCC play. The Zags struggles continued as they dropped a heartbreaking 3-2 decision to in-state rival Eastern Washington University this past Monday. With the three setbacks, Gonzaga has now lost five-straight.
ON TAP IN THE COMING WEEKS: After its two-match road swing in California, the Gonzaga University women's volleyball team will play and host its final non-conference match of the season, before hitting the road for another West Coast Conference match. The Bulldogs will welcome non-conference opponent Seattle University to the Martin Centre on Wednesday, Oct. 22. This season the Zags are 3-2 at home in non-conference matchups. After its match against Seattle, GU will travel to the University of Portland for a Saturday, Oct. 25 contest.
ABOUT THE WAVES: Pepperdine University currently holds a 14-1 overall record and is 2-1 in West Coast Conference action. The Waves, ranked 16th in the latest AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll, only loss of the season came at the hands of WCC foe Santa Clara University on Oct. 4. Ten of the Waves 14 victories have been 3-0 sweeps, including six-straight non-conference sweeps from Sept. 12-Sept. 20. Pepperdine is led by Julie Rubenstein who is averaging 4.38 kills and 2.36 digs per set. The Waves led the all-time series with Gonzaga University 39-3 and have won 22-straight over the Bulldogs.
ABOUT THE LIONS: Loyola Marymount University enters into its contest with Gonzaga University with a 10-7 overall mark and an 0-3 slate in West Coast Conference play. The Lions three losses in conference, to Santa Clara University, Saint Mary's College and Pepperdine University, were all 3-1 setbacks. LMU is led Emily Day, sister of Bulldog freshman Laura Day. Emily Day is averaging 4.51 kills and 2.95 digs per set for the Lions. Loyola Marymount leads the all-time series with Gonzaga 33-9. The Zags and Lions split the series last season with GU earning a 3-1 victory at home and LMU taking a 3-2 win in Los Angeles.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Gonzaga University freshman setter Denise Van de Mortel has six double-doubles to her credit this season; third best in the West Coast Conference. Emily Day of Loyola Marymount University leads the WCC with 11 double-doubles and Megan York, of Saint Mary's College, is second with nine.
TWENTY-SIX: Senior libero Paige Dillingham broke her career dig record, well actually she shattered her career dig record against Boise State University, Sept. 5. Dillingham finished the 3-1 victory with 26 digs. Her previous best was 17 attained this season against both the University of Montana and North Dakota State University. Along with being a personal-high, Dillingham's 26 digs was also the highest individual dig amount in a single-match since 2004 when Jessica Herrera also had 26 against the University of Portland. Dillingham is averaging a team-best 3.49 digs per set; second best in the West Coast Conference.
DOMINATING THE AIRWAVES: Senior middle blocker Elaina Renius had a career-high 12 blocks to lead the Bulldogs to a 3-1 victory over Boise State University, Sept. 5. Her 12 blocks, eight of which were block assists, were the most blocks by an individual Zag player since former Bulldog Briawna Mueller collected 12 against San Francisco in 2005. Renius was also just four blocks shy of breaking former Zag and current assistant coach Abby (Cullen) Bennett's school record of 15, set against Portland in 2002.
LEADING THE WAY: Senior Elaina Renius continues to lead the West Coast Conference with 94.0 total blocks and is second in total kills with 269. She had a career-high 24 kills against Eastern Washington University.
A DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Junior outside hitter Emily Johnson recorded her second career double-double against North Dakota State University, Aug. 30. Johnson tallied 11 kills and collected 11 digs in the loss to register her second career double-double. Her only other double-double came as a freshman when she had 13 kills and 11 digs against the University of Idaho.
LEFTY HAS CAREER-HIGH NIGHT: Layne Brosky, a junior for the Gonzaga University volleyball squad, finished with a career-tying and match-high 17 kills in the Zags 3-1 setback to the University of San Francisco. The left handed hitter, whose previous best this season was 15 at Washington State University Sept. 10, tied a career-high mark in kills that she set the opening weekend of her freshman campaign, two seasons ago. She last had 17 kills against North Dakota State University Aug. 26, 2006; it was Brosky's third match in a Bulldog uniform.
HEAD COACH Kip Yoshimura: Kip Yoshimura is in his seventh year as Gonzaga University's head coach. Yoshimura has compiled a 53-1143 record during his tenure with the Bulldogs. A former assistant coach at Gonzaga during the 1992 season, Yoshimura has complied a 301-2211 career record which includes nine seasons at Lewis-Clark State College where he guided the Warriors to nine-straight NAIA tournament appearances. A 1990 graduate of Long Beach State University, Yoshimura entered the coaching ranks as a student-assistant on Long Beach State's 1989 NCAA National Championship team.
VOLLEYBALL RULE CHANGES: NCAA volleyball rules changes this year include three important changes. First, the term "set" has replaced the word "game" as it is used internationally. Second, the number of points to win a set has been reduced from 30 to 25. Teams must still win by two points and the fifth set will still be played to 15. And lastly, because sets are now shorter, the number of allowable subs per set has been reduced from 15 to 12.
LIVE ON THE INTERNET: All Gonzaga University women's volleyball home matches are available via Gametracker and live streaming on the internet at www.gozags.com. Check the Gonzaga website for all Gametracker and live streaming links. Gametracker for selected away matches are also available. Check out gozags.com for all Gametracker links.
BULLDOGS TABBED 7TH IN WCC COACHES POLL: The Gonzaga University women's volleyball team has been selected to finish seventh in the West Coast Conference for the 2008 season according to a preseason vote of the league's head coaches. The University of San Diego was selected as the preseason favorite to take home WCC regular season title, narrowly edging out Pepperdine University and Santa Clara University.
Women's Volleyball 2008 Preseason Poll
1. San Diego - 56 (3)
2. Pepperdine - 55 (3)
3. Santa Clara - 53 (1)
4. Saint Mary's - 34 (1)
San Francisco - 34
6. Loyola Marymount - 29 (1)
7. Gonzaga - 18
8. Portland - 9
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