STOCKTON, Calif. – After a delayed start to the 2021 spring season for the University of the Pacific volleyball team, the Tigers open competition beginning this Friday evening at the Alex G. Spanos Center with a WCC matchup against Gonzaga, followed by a second matchup between the Tigers and Bulldogs on Saturday. The pair of matches was originally scheduled for this past Sunday and Monday.
Friday's match will be the season opener for Pacific and Gonzaga after multiple contest cancellations and postponements affected each program.
MATCH ONE:
Date: Friday, February 5, 2021
Matchup: Pacific (0-0, 0-0 WCC) vs. Gonzaga (0-0, 0-0 WCC)
Location: Stockton, Calif.
Venue: Alex G. Spanos Center
Opening Serve: 5:00 p.m. PST
Links:
Watch |
Live Stats
MATCH TWO:
Date: Saturday, February 6, 2021
Matchup: Pacific (0-0, 0-0 WCC) vs. Gonzaga (0-0, 0-0 WCC)
Location: Stockton, Calif.
Venue: Alex G. Spanos Center
Opening Serve: 12:00 p.m. PST
Links:
Watch |
Live Stats
THINGS TO KNOW:
- The Tigers look to rebound from a 2019 season in which they went 13-17 and 5-13 in WCC competition, placing seventh in the conference standings. It will be the 11th indoor women's volleyball season for Pacific under the direction of head coach Greg Gibbons.
- Junior outside hitter Riley Patterson was selected to a spot on the 2021 All-WCC Preseason Team. Patterson led the WCC in total kills with 419 and second in conference play with 272. While Patterson showed her offensive ability by leading the conference in kills, she also was second on the team in digs with 342 and third in blocks with 40.0. Patterson was named to the All-WCC Second Team following the 2019 season.
- Junior libero Jadyn Tubbs returns to the Tigers' lineup after receiving All-WCC Second Team honors last season, as her 508 digs was second-most in the conference. In Pacific's previous match against Gonzaga (November 7, 2019), Tubbs had a career-high 32 digs.
- The Tigers split last season's pair of matches with the Bulldogs, winning in four sets on October 12, 2019 and falling 3-2 on November 7. Both teams finished 5-13 in conference play.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:
- Sarah Penner, a senior outside hitter, returns to the lineup for Gonzaga for her senior season after leading the Bulldogs in total kills with 288, averaging 2.80 kills-per-set last season. She was named to the 2021 All-WCC Preseason Team and was an All-WCC Honorable Mention selection following the 2019 season. Penner also had a team-high 71 blocks in 2019.
- Kennedy Croft, a junior outside hitter, led the Bulldogs in digs with 282 in 2019 and returns to the squad in 2021.
- Diane Nelson enters her fifth season as head coach of Gonzaga and 10th overall with the program.
FOLLOW US:
For the latest news and information on Pacific volleyball, please follow the Tigers on Twitter (@PacificVball), Instagram (@pacificvolleyball) and Facebook (@PacificWomensVolleyball).
