Friday, December 05, 2025
28.0°F

Zags volleyball ends spring season on high note

MIKE MAYNARD | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 7 months, 3 weeks AGO
by MIKE MAYNARD
| April 18, 2025 2:20 AM

SPOKANE – The Zags volleyball team concluded its 2025 season going 4-0 in their final stretch of games, according to a statement made by Gonzaga Athletics.  


"I'm very pleased with our spring campaign. We have learned a lot about ourselves as people and competitors," Head Coach JT Wenger said. "Each individual has made significant gains over the past three months, contributing to the rising level of the whole gym. I'm proud of our improvement and thankful for the student-athletes' openness to executing new ideas." 


Gonzaga kicked off their spring schedule on March 21 with a 4-0 win over Whitworth inside the Martin Centre, welcoming a crowd of nearly 500 for a crosstown matchup against the Pirates, who finished 26-3 in 2024 with a 16-0 record in Northwest Conference play before falling in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. 


The Bulldogs' lone road match was a 4-1 win over Montana State on March 29, meeting the Bobcats at a neutral site in Missoula. GU then returned home to face Idaho on April 3, earning a 3-0 sweep over the Vandals. 


Gonzaga welcomed Eastern Washington on April 11 to wrap their spring schedule, earning a 3-1 win at home against the Eagles, who ended their 2024 season in the quarterfinals of the Big Sky Conference tournament. 


The Zags' 2025 fall schedule will be released in the near future. A competitive non-conference slate will look to prepare GU for the ever-tough West Coast Conference that expands this summer, welcoming Seattle U for the first time.  



 


ARTICLES BY MIKE MAYNARD

Wahluke falls to Tri-Cities in home opener
December 4, 2025 4:21 p.m.

Wahluke falls to Tri-Cities in home opener

MATTAWA — The Wahluke Warriors (0-1) were defeated 46-24 in their home opener by the Tri-Cities Prep Jaguars. Despite the loss, Head Coach Makai Hirai said he was proud of the effort his players gave on the court. “That was the biggest thing that I took away is we had a lot of effort. We have a lot of girls who are hungry, and the coaches were excited about (that). Our girls look pretty motivated ... they’re working hard,” Hirai said. The Jaguars started fast and held the lead the entire game. Tri-Cities Prep put up double-digit scores in each quarter except for the third. The Warriors finished strong with 10 points in the fourth quarter, but the Jaguars came out victorious.

From overtime thriller to championship stage
December 4, 2025 4:14 p.m.

From overtime thriller to championship stage

The Knights meet Cashmere once again

ROYAL CITY — On Friday, the No. 1 seed Royal Knights (12-0) will travel to Husky Stadium to play the No. 2 seed Cashmere Bulldogs (11-1) in the 1A state championship game. The Knights Head Coach Wiley Allred was not surprised to see the Bulldogs reach the state championship game. “I was hoping there wasn't a team better than them, because that's a pretty tough team right there. We'll meet our match,” Allred said. When these two met in October, it was the Knights pulling off a late comeback to win 21-15 in overtime. Coming into that game, both teams were undefeated. The Knights had only allowed seven points all season, while the Bulldogs had not allowed a score by any team.

Warriors fall short in home opener
December 3, 2025 4:30 p.m.

Warriors fall short in home opener

MATTAWA — The Wahluke Warriors (0-1) were defeated 67-43 by the Tri-Cities Prep Jaguars Tuesday in their return to the hardwood. Wahluke Head Coach Anfernee Cortez said some of the loss may be attributed to first-game jitters. “We started too flat and just kind of dug ourselves into a hole early. Against a team like Tri-Cities Prep, it’s tough to catch up at that point,” Cortez said. A slow start by the Warriors allowed Tri-Cities Prep to take hold of the momentum early and build a commanding lead. In the first half, the Warriors struggled to knock down shots and attack the rim. The Jaguars carried their momentum into the second half to run away with the game. Wahluke had a stronger second-half showing, but Cortez said it was not enough to get back in the game.