Caleb Turner | Posted: 27 Sep 2018 | Updated: 8 Nov 2020

No. 1 BYU volleyball defeats Gonzaga to stay unbeaten

main image
Image

PROVO, Utah – No. 1 BYU women’s volleyball defeated Gonzaga in three sets (25-12, 25-10, 25-15) Thursday night at the Smith Fieldhouse to remain undefeated on the season.

"We had a total team effort tonight," BYU head coach Heather Olmstead said. "Everyone was ready to play. I thought we had a really good night serving and passing the ball."

Senior Roni Jones-Perry finished with a match-high 10 kills, while Lyndie Haddock-Eppich put together a solid stat line of seven kills, 31 assists and five digs. Madelyn Robinson and Kennedy Eschenberg had four kills each.

Freshman Heather Gneiting had a block followed immediately by a kill to put BYU (14-0, 4-0 WCC) up 9-3 early in the first set. At the first timeout the Cougars led 15-7, with Gneiting and Robinson leading with two kills and two blocks apiece. BYU made a defensive stand to close out the set, winning it 25-12 on a block. Robinson led the team in both kills and blocks after one set with three and four, respectively. Her set-high three kills came on a .500 clip, with BYU hitting .304 as a team after the opening period.

BYU opened the second set 12-1 with five quick kills from Jones-Perry. Gonzaga (4-10, 1-2 WCC) brought it back within 10, 18-8, but three kills in a row by Haddock-Eppich put the Cougars up 21-8 late in the second set. BYU kept the momentum and took the second set 25-10 off a Gonzaga error. Jones-Perry was up to eight kills after two sets, hitting at a .389 clip. The Cougars improved with a .441 clip in the second set to bring their match average up to .386.

The third set began with a 2-2 tie, but the Cougars quickly pulled away to a 12-5 lead, fueled by a couple of impressive digs by Mary Lake and a series of kills from Jones-Perry. The Bulldogs brought it back within six, 17-11, but an error immediately after allowed the Cougars to regain momentum, going on an 8-4 run to win the set and the match.

The Cougars take on Portland at home next, Sept. 29, at 1 p.m. MDT, in the Smith Fieldhouse. The match will be broadcast on BYUtv and can be followed with live stats found on the team’s schedule page.

File Attachments

Recent Stories

Image
Whitney Bower and Erin Livingston named to All-Big 12 Preseason Team
Bower, Livingston named to Preseason All-Big 12 Team

BYU women’s volleyball seniors Whitney Bower and Erin Livingston were named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, the…

Image
2023 BYU women's volleyball picked second in preseason Big 12 coaches poll
Cougars picked second in preseason Big 12 coaches poll

In its inaugural season as a member of the Big 12, BYU women’s volleyball was picked to finished second in the…