Cougars Battle but Come Up Short Against Pepperdine

Saturday, November 8

Pullman, Wash.

1:00 PM

Washington State University

14-8,8-4WCC

Pepperdine University

17-7,11-2WCC

Pepperdine

Washington St.

Photo by: Ashley Davis

November 08, 2025 | Volleyball

Box Score

By: Washington State Athletic Communications

PULLMAN, Wash. – (November 8, 2025) – Washington State volleyball put up a determined fight in Bohler Gym on Saturday afternoon, pushing one of the West Coast Conference's top teams in three competitive sets before falling 25-18, 25-20 and 26-24.

Despite the sweep, the Cougars (14-8, 8-4 WCC) showed stretches of high-end play—especially defensively—posting 50 digs and matching the visitors with 10 team blocks. WSU also saw continued emergence from several young contributors who helped keep each frame within reach.

Lucie Blažková delivered one of the most efficient performances of the day, hitting .308 with five kills and a team-high seven block assists as she anchored the front line.

Mary Healy added five kills of her own and teamed with Blažková for big momentum-building blocks in the second set.

Melina Christodoulou chipped in seven kills and an ace, providing consistent scoring in tight moments.

The Cougars' back-row effort kept them in long rallies all afternoon. Tinons Munar Galmés was outstanding, compiling a match-high 19 digs and delivering crisp first contact that helped fuel late-set pushes in both the second and third frames.

Italia Bernal steadied the offense with 16 assists, while fellow setter Livia Ward added 10 more and contributed an ace.

After dropping the opening set, WSU surged early in the second behind a five-point serving run from Bernal, highlighted by a block from Eliana Ti'a and Camryn Lingenbrink that brought Bohler Gym to its feet. The visitors eventually edged back in front, but the Cougars' defensive resolve kept the set tight until the final points.

WSU saved its strongest charge for the third set, erasing a late deficit with a flurry of blocks and back-row digs. Christodoulou, Blažková, and Healy all came through with key swings, and Ti'a added seven kills overall—including multiple big-point moments that nearly forced a fourth set.

NOTES

With a .308 hitting percentage today, Lucie Blažková is at a .432 clip for the season and currently sits with the highest single-season hitting percentage in WSU history.
With four service aces in the match, the 2025 team currently sits second for the highest aces per set average in WSU history with 1.88.
Blažková had one solo block to move to 64 career solo blocks, seventh all-time at WSU.
Blažková's five kills puts her at 431 for her career, 69 away from 500.
With her seven total blocks today, Blažková has 234 career blocks, 16 away from 250.
Taryn Vrieling has now played in 99 career matches, one away from 100.
Vrieling also registered six digs, putting her at 483 in her career, 17 from 500.
With her 4.5 points today, Vrieling has 926.5 in her career, 73.5 from 1,000.
Italia Bernal tallied 16 assists, putting her at 1,312 for her career, 188 from 1,500.
Bernal also had eight digs to put her career total at 386, 114 from 500.

UP NEXT
The Cougars start with a short road trip next Wednesday, Nov. 12 to play Gonzaga in Spokane, Wash. at 6 p.m. before returning to Pullman to host Seattle U on Saturday, Nov. 15 at noon.

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