CORVALLIS, Wash. – (November 2, 2025) – Washington State rallied after a slow first set to defeat Oregon State, 3-1 (17-25, 25-23, 27-25, 25-14) inside Gill Coliseum Sunday afternoon.

The Cougars (14-7, 8-3 WCC) overpowered the Beavers with late-set execution, steady serving, and a dominant finishing push to pull even with OSU for third place in the West Coast Conference.

WSU finished with 14 service aces—doubling Oregon State—and matched the Beavers' dig total despite OSU's early offensive surge.

After dropping the opening frame, WSU responded with poise as the Cougars' attack settled in behind Lucie Blažková, who posted 15 kills and hit .355 while adding three blocks and two aces.

The Cougars erased multiple deficits in the second set, fueled by Tinons Munar Galmés at the service line. Munar Galmés tallied three aces and nine assists while providing consistent first contact that allowed WSU to run its offense in rhythm. Her ace at 9-10 in the second sparked a three-point run that flipped momentum in the Cougars' favor.

WSU's block also came alive as the match progressed with Camryn Lingenbrink and Eliana Ti'a combining for critical stuffs in the third set, including a key block that halted OSU's push to reclaim the lead. Taryn Vrieling delivered a clutch service ace at 26-25, closing out the pivotal third set and giving the Cougars a 2-1 edge.

From there, Washington State took full control. The Cougars dominated the fourth set wire-to-wire, hitting a blistering .538 while holding Oregon State to just seven kills. Italia Bernal ran a balanced offense, distributing 24 assists and connecting in transition with both Blažková and Tia, while Livia Ward added three aces and 14 digs to anchor WSU's serve-receive and back-row defense.


NOTES

• With a .355 hitting percentage today, Blažková is at a .436 clip for the season and currently sits with the highest single-season hitting percentage in WSU history.
• With 14 service aces in the match, the 2025 team currently sits tied with the 1988 Cougar squad for the highest aces per set average in WSU history with 1.91.
• The 14 service aces also matches a season-high for the team (12, at Seattle U).
• Livia Ward set career highs in both digs (14) and service aces (3) while also posting a double-double (17 assists).
• Melina Christodoulou set a career-high with two service aces.
• Blažková had two solo blocks to move to 64 career solo blocks, seventh all-time at WSU.

UP NEXT
The Cougars have another bye next week before a home match against Pepperdine on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

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