SAN JOSE, Calif. – Junior outside hitter Nicole Zake posted a season high 15 kills as the Pacific women's volleyball team rebounded from a tight first set loss to soundly dispatch LSU New Orleans in four (23-25, 25-15, 25-17, 25-22) Saturday night from Spartan Gym, completing the team's action for the weekend.

Zake's 15 kills came on an efficient .281 clip (15-6-32), the fewest attack opportunities she's had since opening night but also allowed her her most efficient night of the season. Defensively, her double-double streak would end at four consecutive matches, however, the junior was still active by racking up nine digs on the match.

As a compliment to Zake, sophomore Julia Porath put up 13 kills for the second double digit kill match of her career while also calling her own number at the net by totaling two solo blocks.

However, the breakout student-athlete on the offensive half of the court was freshman Vanessa Zussino who more than doubled her previous career-high in kills. Given her most opportunities of the season, the freshman turned 27 total attacks into eight kills, and wasn't done. From the service line, Zussino contributed five aces – marking the first time since the 2022 season that multiple Tigers (4-2) have served five-plus aces in a season (Darina Kumanova and Alexa Edwards).

Facilitating the offense, the setting trio of junior Alessia Couchond and sophomores Chloe Giehtbrock/Bella Gutierrez each racked up double digit assists with the most former of them leading the team at 20. Giehtbrock was close behind at 17 and Gutierrez' 11 is the first time in her career she's reached double digits in her collegiate career.

The trio were also key factors defensively, as Couchond and Gutierrez each eclipsed ten digs to register double-doubles on the night while Giehtbrock flirted with the double-double but ultimately finished with nine digs.

As a team, Pacific made life hard on the Privateers – holding them to just 38 total kills and three service aces, both season lows by an opponent thus far.

Pacific remains on the road when it returns to the court on Friday for the Borderland Classic, jointly hosted by UTEP and New Mexico State. Friday's match is in El Paso against the host Miners before making the short drive into New Mexico to the face the Aggies on Saturday. Sunday, the team returns to Texas for a neutral court showdown with UC San Diego.

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