MORAGA, Calif. — Junior Grace Frohling and senior Annie Benbow set forth career performances Thursday evening at Saint Mary's, leading No. 23 San Diego volleyball (20-5, 14-2 WCC) to a 3-1 win as they set career highs with 28 kills and 31 digs, respectively.

Frohling led a resurgent Torero attack on offense, shattering her previous career high of 24, while Benbow provided the spark on defense, easily surpassing her previous best in digs of 25.

Aided by the two standpoint performances, USD rebounded after dropping the first set 25-22 for a 25-23 win in the second, a 25-16 win in the third, and a 25-22 win in the fourth to secure the 3-1 match victory over the Gaels (14-11, 8-8 WCC).

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set - (Saint Mary's, 25-22)

• Frohling got things started for the Toreros with a quick three kills, then sophomore Kylie Pries got in on the action with a kill to push USD ahead, 11-7.
• Freshman Haylee Stoner notched an ace to move the score to 16-12 in favor of the visiting team before SMC rallied back to tie the match at 17.
• Frohling recorded her seventh kill to pull USD within one at 21-11 Saint Mary's before Stoner hammered one of her own to keep the deficit the same, but the Gaels earned a 25-22 win in the first set to jump out to a 1-0 lead in the match.

Second Set - (San Diego, 25-23)

• A hard-fought second set began with a kill from senior Laura Madill, pushing USD out in front 3-1.
• Stoner got USD on the board with an acrobatic kill to make it 7-6 Toreros, then she teamed up with Frohling for a combo block to push the score to 11-10 USD.
• Sophomore Leyla Blackwell smashed a kill to make it a three-point San Diego advantage before Frohling's 13th kill of the night — a cross-court beauty — fended off a mid-set Saint Mary's comeback to keep it a one-point USD lead.
• Lukes took a big swing later in the set to make it 22-20 San Diego, then pitched a perfect changeup over the next a few points later to make it 24-21.
• That set the stage for Blackwell to close it out with a kill of her own, earning the Toreros a 25-23 win that tied the match at one set apiece.

Third Set - (San Diego, 25-16)

• The Toreros jumped ahead early with kills from Stoner, Frohling, Lukes, and Blackwell, then a kill from freshman Emily Wilson made it a three-point USD lead for the first time in the set at 9-6.
• Another kill from Stoner extended the San Diego advantage to four points, an ace from Madill made it five, then a pair of kills from Frohling and Wilson made it a 13-6 game before the Gaels finally answered.
• A kill from Frohling, plus two from Lukes pushed the USD lead to ten points at 17-7, a mark they'd hit again at 20-10 courtesy of a solo block from Blackwell.
• Another kill from Lukes and a block assist from Stoner and Lukes sealed the 25-16 win for the Toreros in the set, pushing them ahead 2-1 in the match.

Fourth Set - (San Diego, 25-22)

• USD fell behind early, but Frohling helped her team come back with her 20th kill, making the score 6-2 SMC.
• Wilson did her part a few points later with a big kill, again cutting the Saint Mary's advantage to four.
• Frohling brought USD within two with her 25th kill of the night, then three more kills from the junior plus a service ace from sophomore Kylie Pries tied things up at 20.
• A back-and-forth battle in the set's late stages ensued, but a stirring USD comeback was punctuated by kills from Lukes, Blackwell, Madill, and Wilson to earn San Diego a 25-22 win in the set, and a 3-1 victory in the match.

TORERO TIDBITS

• Lukes added 17 kills and six digs, marking the sixth time so far this year she's recorded 17 or more.
• Frohling's 28 kills are the most by a Torero in a single match so far this year, one-upping Lukes' 27-kill performance at Gonzaga on November 6.
• Madill, a senior setter from Oakville, Ontario, totaled two kills of her own, ten digs, and a match-best 37 assists.
• Redshirt sophomore Isadora Terçariol chipped in with 13 assists, while Stoner, Wilson, and Blackwell each notched six or more kills.
• Frohling, Lukes, Blackwell, Wilson, and Pries all had one block, while Stoner led the Toreros for the third straight match with four total blocks.

UP NEXT
The Toreros remain on the road this Saturday, traveling to Stockton, California to take on Pacific in what marks USD's final regular-season away matchup of 2021. First serve at the Alex G. Spanos Center is set for 12 pm.