Volleyball Downed By No. 21 Arizona For First Loss Inside Bohler

Friday, November 2

Pullman, WA

7:00 PM

Washington State University

17-6 (8-5Pac-12)

Arizona

18-7 (7-6Pac-12)

Arizona

Washington State

Photo by: Robert Hubner/WSU Photo Services

Volleyball Downed By No. 21 Arizona For First Loss Inside Bohler

November 02, 2018 | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Penny Tusa matches a career-high five aces in five-set thriller.

By: Athletic Communications

WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE
PULLMAN, Wash. -- The No. 18 ranked Cougars of Washington State (17-6, 8-5 Pac-12) suffered the first home loss of the season inside Bohler Gym to the No. 21 ranked Wildcats of Arizona Friday evening, in five sets.

Set scores from the match were: 25-23, 20-25, 25-19, 22-25, and 12-15 in favor of the Wildcats (18-7, 7-6 Pac-12).

The opening set of this Pac-12 match featuring two ranked opponents saw a total of seven ties throughout the beginning of this contest as both Arizona, and Washington State found answers to counter each other. The Cougars found an opening with a 5-1 run with some help from McKenna Woodford, and Jocelyn Urias to hold down a 15-12 lead over the Wildcats. The Cougs took that advantage late into the first set, but Arizona managed to tie up the game at 22-22 after back-to-back kills. Urias, and Ashley Brown would surge the Cougars ahead for the set victory after a kill from Jocelyn and a block from Brown gave the home squad the 25-23 victory.

Set number two saw more of the same, each team battling for any advantage with six overall ties occurring midway through the contest at 13-13. The Wildcats found separation with a 6-1 run against the Cougars to put the visiting lead at 21-17. WSU battled back within three points after a kill from Ella Lajos, but Arizona sealed off the set two win with three straight kills at 25-20.

Washington State bounced right back in set three with a 6-1 run of their own after multiple kills from Taylor Mims saw the Cougs out in front at 10-7 overall. WSU went on to hold an advantage for the remainder of the set, seeing back-to-back service aces from Penny Tusa, and more offensive power from Woodford for the 25-19 set win.

The Wildcats generated an opening set run of their own in the fourth set of this match as Arizona went on an 8-2 run to put the visitor lead at 9-6. A small run from the Cougars would see this game tied back up at 13-13, and the Wildcats and Cougs continued to trade points until a 4-0 run from Washington State gave the home squad the 20-17 advantage. Arizona ultimately created a 6-1 run late in this contest and tied up the overall match at 2-2 with a 25-22 set victory.

Arizona continued to ride that momentum into the fifth set, jumping out to an 8-3 lead over the Cougars. A kill from Tusa, and back-to-back aces from Olivia Coale saw that Wildcat lead trimmed down to just one point at 10-9, but Arizona was able to record back-to-back points for a 14-11 lead, giving the visitors an advantage and took the final set at 15-12, and the match at 3-2 overall.

STAT OF THE MATCH
Sophomore Penny Tusa matched a career-high in service aces on the night with five total. Tusa last recorded five overall aces earlier this season against Northern Iowa on the road.

THE MOMENTS THAT MADE THE MATCH

S5 | ACE from @oliviaacoale as the Cougs cut the Arizona lead down to just two points! | ARIZ 10-8#GoCougs #RiseAgain pic.twitter.com/Z3CKHjxfOy
— Cougar Volleyball (@wsuvolleyball) November 3, 2018

S4 | @29413Urias & @Ashley_Brown19 with the BLOCK as we are tied up here in set four! | 11-11 #GoCougs #RiseAgain pic.twitter.com/k46pzybhcG
— Cougar Volleyball (@wsuvolleyball) November 3, 2018

S2 | @kennabanena continues to anchor the offense with 9 kills as we are knotted up midway through set two | 13-13#GoCougs #RiseAgain pic.twitter.com/65MN8odsC0
— Cougar Volleyball (@wsuvolleyball) November 3, 2018

NOTES

This was the first loss at home inside Bohler Gym this season for the Cougars, with a home record of 7-1 overall now in 2018.
Woodford led the offense with 22 kills, a .413 hitting percentage, and recorded three total blocks.
Ashley Brown posted 49 total assists, along with adding eight digs, and six blocks to her stat sheet.
Alexis Dirige once again led the Cougs in total digs at 23, and was her eighth match this season with 20 or more digs.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Washington State returns to action next, Sunday, November 4 as the Cougars take on the Sun Devils of Arizona State inside Bohler Gym with first serve set for 12 p.m. PT.