Nov. 12, 2010

Box Score

PULLMAN, Wash. -- The Washington State volleyball team (6-17 overall, 0-13 Pac-10) played a competitive contest but lost to No. 2 Stanford (21-2, 12-2) Friday night before 829 fans at Bohler Gym.

The Cardinal hit .408 for the match and won with set scores of 25-20, 23-25, 25-19. Alix Klineman led Stanford with 18 kills (.406) while Cassidy Lichtman added 13 kills (.407), 30 assists and three blocks. Hayley Spelman added 12 kills (.435) and Jessica Walker had 10 kills (.529). Carly Wopat had three blocks and three service aces. Gabi Ailes had a match-high 16 digs.

WSU's Meagan Ganzer led the team with 17 kills with Rachel Todorovich adding 12 kills (.314) and the pair combined for five blocks. Conley Kipp led the match with five blocks and added six kills (.417). Oceana Bush tallied 13 digs and Sara Biondi had 43 assists. Kaleinani Kabalis served a pair of aces.

"The coaches gave the team a challenge as to how we are going to play the rest of the year; what kind of character and what kind of team are we going to show people and that we are going to battle all the way to the end," Cougar Head Coach Andrew Palileo said. "The only thing I challenged the team with tonight was how are we going to come out and show that we are going to battle you guys every single play? I thought we did a good job with that and we sustained for at least three sets. I was happy with the type of character of play we showed tonight."

WSU had one of its better opening sets in conference play this year, hitting .267 with Todorovich and Ganzer each landing four kills. Stanford setter Lichtman led the visitors with four kills and the Cardinal hit .375 for the set. The Cougars were within two points of the visitors twice in the set but Stanford took the set with a score of 25-20.

The Cougars jumped out to a 15-11 lead in the second set. Stanford made a steady comeback and tied the set at 22 before Ganzer and Kipp combined on a block put the Cougs ahead again. Klineman landed an attack in the middle of the WSU side of the court to knot the set at 23. Klineman was called for a backrow attack on the next play putting WSU ahead, 24-23. Freshman Jordan Levenseller was subbed in to serve set point and Ganzer rocketed a kill that was touched by a Cardinal in the back row before sailing out of bounds. Cougs swipe a set win, 25-23, and hit .424 in the set.

The third set see-sawed early with a tie at nine points each. Stanford took the lead from there and while the Cougars came WSU came within one at 16-17, the Cardinal controlled the set, hitting an outstanding .515, and took the 25-19 win.

The fourth set belonged to the visitors, as the Cardinal strung together several runs of three or four points, hit .433 and held the Cougars to a .033 hitting percentage. SU wins the set 25-13 and the match, 3-1.

Bush said, "Compared to the last time I think we competed really well. Yes they are Stanford and yes they have some great players on their team but I think we went out there and got after it finally. We put in all on the table saying this is who we are, this is how we play, and this is our house. It was good seeing that instead of playing tentative like we have before."

Palileo added, "Stanford did a good job and stepped it up one more level to see if we could go with them. We had a hard time doing that. We have to get better so that when we push and the opponent responds we can push back. Once we woke them up and they pushed us back did we have another push for them? We did for points here and there but not a sustained push to get them on their heels like we did in the second set where we constantly put on pressure."

Washington State hosts No. 4 California (22-2, 12-2), Saturday, Nov. 13, in Bohler Gym. The Golden Bears took a 3-1 win at No. 11 Washington Friday night, handing the Huskies their first home loss of the season.