SEATTLE – No. 25 Washington State volleyball took down rival No. 9 Washington for the second time this season, beating the Huskies in five sets on the road Saturday evening.
Set scores from the match were: 25-23, 21-25, 25-20, 15-25, and 15-13 in favor of WSU (23-9, 12-8 Pac-12).
Washington State came out firing to open set number one, generating a 4-2 scoring run over the Huskies of Washington (24-6, 15-5 Pac-12).
Pia Timmer was a leading force to begin this Boeing Apple Cup Series contest with a kill and a service ace being added to her stat sheet. UW was able to counter the offensive attack of WSU with a 4-1 run of their own, taking a slim 7-6 advantage over the Cougs. Washington posted yet another run, this time 4-0 to jump ahead to a 12-9 lead, followed by a timeout from Washington State.
Kalyah Williams turned into a huge factor midway through this opening set, posting two block assists and a kill to tie up the set at 14-14 overall. The Huskies once again began to find a bit of separation, as a 5-0 run extended the lead out to 22-16. The Cougs fought right back against their rival, posting an 8-0 run fueled by a
Jocelyn Urias ace, a
Magda Jehlářová kill and
Hannah Pukis recorded multiple blocks and multiple kills to take a 23-22 lead. WSU capped off the opening set with a kill from Jehlářová for the 25-23 set victory.
The Huskies opened set two with a 4-2 scoring run to retaliate from the opening set loss, but the Cougars were ready for a battle against their rival inside the Alaska Airlines Arena. WSU posted a 3-0 run midway through the set with a block from Timmer and Jehlářová, and a kill from
Alexcis Lusby to trail just 11-10. These two rival programs went on to trade points leading to the late stages of set number two, with the Huskies posting a 6-1 run for a 20-15 advantage. Back-to-back service aces from
Penny Tusa put the Crimson and Gray right back into the set and saw Washington taking a timeout at 20-18. UW put together a 3-1 scoring run to finish off the Cougars in the second set of play, with a final score of 25-21.
Each of these squads continued to keep the intensity high to begin set three, as Jehlářová posted a block and a kill to get the Cougs rolling early. Washington State found a rhythm early in this third period, posting a 6-1 scoring run against the Huskies to claim the 11-7 lead. The Cougars saw multiple kills from Timmer, along with additional kills from Williams and Magda to power the WSU offensive attack. Washington State continued to control the pace of set three, as three consecutive kills from Lusby, Williams, and Urias extended the lead out to 17-11. The Huskies generated a 4-1 counter run to close the WSU lead to just 18-15, but yet another kill from Williams put the Cougars back in the driver's seat at 19-15. Washington managed to produce another 4-1 run to close the gap to 23-20, but the Cougars were determined to keep that lead and take set three at 25-20 after the UW error.
The Cougars began set number four with a slim advantage, after the Timmer kill, and another Pukis ace on the night to hold the 4-2 lead. Washington State and UW continued to trade points from here on out, leading to a 12-11 Washington lead midway through the set. The Huskies began to shift the momentum late into the set, as a 6-1 scoring run put the home lead at 20-14. Washington went on to close out the set four victory at 25-15 overall to force a fifth and final set.
Washington State began set five with a quick 3-1 run after kills from Timmer and Jehlářová, however the Huskies countered with a 3-0 run of their own. WSU answered with a pair of blocks from Magda, and Lusby to take a 6-4 advantage over UW, gaining some momentum in the final set of play. Washington State became the first to eight in this fifth set after a Lusby kill and an error from UW, putting the Coug lead at 8-5 overall.
Jocelyn Urias posted a crucial kill late in this final period, leading the way to an 11-7 advantage for WSU. The Cougars completed the regular season sweep of Washington with a Lusby kill to take set five 15-13, and the match at 3-2 as well.
STAT OF THE MATCH
This regular season sweep of the Washington Huskies is the first by the Cougars, since the 2001 season, and this is the third consecutive victory over the Huskies for the Cougs as well.
INTO THE TWITTER-VERSE
MATCH NOTES
- Magda Jehlářová posted her first career double-double as she led WSU in total kills with 12, and in total blocks with 10 as well.
- Hannah Pukis recorded an impressive night, totaling 41 assists, a team-high 17 digs, and six kills also.
- Pia Timmer and Jocelyn Urias each helped anchor the offensive attack in tonight's win as Timmer recorded 11 kills, and Urias posted 10 overall.
- Washington State now awaits their fate with the NCAA Selection Show tomorrow beginning at 5:30 p.m. PT to see where the Cougars will end up in post-season play.
