


#19 Arizona Needs Five To Stop WSU Volleyball
November 22, 1998
TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Washington State volleyball team, looking to rise
above .500 and rekindle its NCAA tournament hopes, lost to 19th-ranked
Arizona 18-16, 6-15, 11-15, 15-13, 15-12, Sunday at McKale Center.
WSU drops to 11-13 overall, 8-10 and tied for fifth with Arizona State in
the Pac-10. Arizona moves to 21-6 overall, 12-6 and in fourth-place in the
Pac-10 standings. This is the first time Arizona has won more than 20
matches in a season since 1982.
Arizona's Marisa DaLee led all players with 21 kills while Wendy Rouse led
the Cougars with 20 kills and had a career-high 10 blocks.
WSU tallied six straight points to take a 12-6 lead in the first game and
extended it to 14-10. But the Cougars couldn't convert to the win in seven
attempts at game point and the Wildcats tied it up at 14. With no
substitutions remaining, WSU's 6-4 middle blocker, Alicia Erickson couldn't
enter the game, leaving the Cougars' shortest player, 5-6 back row player
Kim Kleven, to play front row. After exchanging sideouts and points, the
game was knotted at 15. Arizona's Allison Napier's kill put the Cats up
16-15 but Wendy Rouse's kill stopped UA at their first attempt at game
point. An ace by WSU's Samantha Spink tied the score again. Napier
produced a kill for an Arizona sideout but Demps' service error gave the
Cougars control of the ball again. Napier again came through with a kill
and Marisa DaLee's hit gave Arizona a 17-16 advantage. Spink was called
for an elusive lift to end the 50-minute game in the Wildcats' favor, 18-16.
Arizona jumped out to a 5-1 lead only to see the Cougars rally with to
outscore the Cats 14-1, winning the second game 15-6. WSU scored 10
consecutive points on Joy Sperry's serve rotation.
WSU took a 6-1 lead in the third game only to have Arizona come back and
tie. The teams evenly exchanged points for the next three and then the
Wildcats went up 11-9. But WSU mounted another run and with Rouse's three
kills and a block, and Sperry's three kills, scored the final six points to
take game three 15-11.
Arizona saw its 7-1 lead disappear into an 8-all tie. The squads traded
points and WSU moved ahead 12-9 only to see the Cats battle back with two
kills from Demps. Rouse's back-to-back kills gave WSU the sideout and a
13-11 lead. But the Cougs stalled and Demps, Napier and DaLee pushed
Arizona to a 15-13 win and tie the match at two games apiece.
In the rally-scoring fifth game, both squads traded points until Arizona
took a 12-9 lead with the consecutive aces from Raelene Elam. But WSU
battled back with a kill from Sperry and Missy Blackshire's block of
Talbot. Demps and Talbot countered with kills and at 14-11 Demps served
for game and match only to hit the ball into the net. After a Wildcats'
timeout, DaLee slammed one down the middle and Arizona claimed the game 15-12.
"I can't be unhappy about the way we played today," Cougar coach Cindy
Fredrick said. "We did a good job to stay in the match and we never quit,
never gave up."
Reflecting on the Pac-10 season Fredrick said, "We need to be prepared for
all circumstances and we've had our share this season. (As for the last
two matches of the season) we need to prepare our young players for next
year by playing well like we did today and help our seniors go out on a
positive note. No matter what I've said about this season, I've had some
outstanding young players."
Washington State now travel across the country for the SEC-Pac-10
Conference Challenge Tournament featuring Washington, WSU, Florida and
South Carolina Nov. 27-28 at Disney World.
#19 Arizona (21-6, 12-6) d. Washington State (11-13, 8-10) 18-16, 6-15,
11-15, 15-13, 15-12
Kills - Rouse (WSU) 20, Sperry (WSU) 19), DaLee (UA) 21. Assists - Spink
(WSU) 51, Burkholder (UA) 77. Aces - Rouse (WSU) 2, Blackshire (WSU) 2,
Elam (UA) 5. Digs - Sperry (WSU) 22, Burkholder (UA) 26. Blocks - Rouse
(WSU) 10, Demps (UA) 6. Attendance: 615.
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