PULLMAN, Wash. – The latest installment of the Boeing Apple Cup Series saw Washington State volleyball take down No. 8 Washington in four sets inside Bohler Gym Wednesday evening.
Set scores from the match were: 22-25, 25-22, 25-20, and 25-20 in favor of WSU (12-1, 1-0 Pac-12).
The opening set of this match kept true to the rivalry between the Huskies of Washington (9-2, 0-1) and the Cougars, as eight ties occurred leading up to a 10-10 score. A 4-0 scoring run saw UW jump out to a 14-10 advantage but Washington State answered with back-to-back points, with kills from
Hannah Pukis and
Magda Jehlarova. The Huskies went on to generate a 6-2 run shortly after to hold a lead of 20-13, but WSU was determined to defend its' home court of Bohler Gym. The Cougars posted four straight points anchored by kills from
Alexcis Lusby and
Jocelyn Urias to trail 21-19. Washington took advantage of multiple errors by WSU however to ultimately claim set number one at 25-22.
Set number two brought just as much intensity, and the Cougars found a small opening early, after back-to-back kills from
Pia Timmer, with an additional kill from Lusby saw an 11-9 lead. Washington countered with a 5-1 run of their own to gain the 16-15 advantage midway through the second set. The score became knotted up at 22-22, and the Cougars used the electric atmosphere of Bohler Gym to record three consecutive points, featuring a solo block from Jehlarova. The set victory for WSU was capped off with an
Alexis Dirige ace for a final score of 25-22.
Momentum fully swung in the favor of WSU, as the Cougars opened set three with a 4-0 run, heavily anchored by Magda with two kills, and two block assists. That early lead was maintained at 11-7 by Washington State as another kill from Timmer found the floor, and a huge block from
Penny Tusa, and Urias kept the home squad rolling. Despite the Huskies tying the set at 16-16, WSU held strong late, outscoring UW 9-4, as just about every Cougar that hit the court aided in scoring a point in some way. Urias finished off Washington in set three with a thunderous kill for the 25-20 victory.
Washington State was in full control of this contest heading into set four, and once again jump out to an early lead at 9-5 with some help from an Urias kill, and a
Julia Norville ace. The WSU lead only continued to grow from there as a kill from Lusby, and an error from the Huskies put Washington State in front at 18-12. There would be no slowing down for the Cougars as Urias, Timmer, Jehlarova, and Lusby posted kills late in this contest to clinch the 3-1 upset victory, taking the set at 25-20.
STAT OF THE MATCH
The last time the Cougars knocked off a top ten ranked team inside Bohler Gym was in 2016 against No. 9 Stanford at 3-2. The victory tonight over No. 8 Washington is the highest ranked opponent defeated at home since 2013 when the Cougars downed the No. 4 ranked Trojans of USC at 3-2 as well.
INTO THE TWITTER-VERSE
MATCH NOTES
- Pia Timmer posted a team-high in kills with 14 on the night, adding two blocks and seven digs to her stat line.
- Hannah Pukis added a match-high 41 assists in the upset victory, and posted career-high in kills with six total. Pukis recorded her third double-double of her career as well with 10 digs.
- Alexcis Lusby and Magda Jehlarova added some offensive fire power for the Cougars during the evening with 10 kills each. Magda went on to lead WSU in blocks as well with six total.
- The Cougars will next take on Pac-12 adversary No. 21 California on the road inside Haas Pavilion at Berkeley, Calif. with first serve set for 1 p.m.
