STOCKTON, Calif. – After posting eight wins during non-conference play, the Pacific volleyball team kicks off West Coast Conference action as the team travels to take on Gonzaga on Thursday, Sept. 22, followed by a matchup at Portland on Saturday, Sept. 24.
The Tigers (8-4), currently on a five-match winning streak for the first time since late in the 2017 season, have been led by a balanced offensive attack throughout the first 12 matches of the season. Alexa Edwards and Darina Kumanova are the only team members to surpass 100 kills, with Edwards ranking first on the team and second in the conference with 184. Kumanova has accumulated 101 kills through the non-conference schedule while leading the team in service aces with 22.
Newcomers Emily Van Groningen and Biamba Kabengele played significant roles in the team's success this past weekend at the Central Cal Challenge, as the duo combined for 53 kills in three matches. Van Groningen tallied her first career match with double-digit kills, recording 13 in the win over Fresno State, and registered a .456 hitting percentage throughout the weekend. Kabengele added 28 kills and tallied seven total blocks.
Jadyn Tubbs has been the staple for the Tigers defensively as she is tied for the conference lead in digs with 171. Tubbs, who has tallied 10 or more digs in 11 of the 12 matches this season, registered a season-high 21 against New Mexico on September 9. With her early success to begin the season, the graduate student from Turlock, Calif., has climbed up to third all-time in program history with 1,711 career digs.
Gonzaga enters West Coast Conference play after winning its final non-conference match of the season, a 3-1 win over Eastern Washington on September 13. Zoe Thiros leads the Bulldogs (3-7) in kills, tallying 110 of the team's 372 kills through the first 10 matches. Alisa Kim and Kelsie White lead the team defensively as Kim has added 152 digs, while White leads the team in blocks with 28.
In 19 all-time meetings between the two programs, the Tigers hold a 15-4 advantage over the Bulldogs since the first meeting in 1997. The Tigers won both matches last season, defeating the Bulldogs on the road on October 2 before sweeping the Zags three weeks later at the Alex G. Spanos Center.
The Tigers continue conference play as the team faces off against Portland to wrap up their 14-match road trip to begin the season. The Pilots (7-4) are coming off two wins at the Portland North Marriott Invitational last week, defeating Portland State and Seattle. Jayde Harris leads the team offensively through 11 matches, tallying 134 kills while ranking fourth in the conference with a 3.72 kill per set ratio.
Since the first-ever meeting between the two programs in 2007, the Tigers have a 16-3 record against the Pilots, with 14 wins coming after rejoining the conference in 2013. The Tigers defeated the Pilots twice last season and have yet to drop a contest at Portland since the 2019 season.
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