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Washington State Women's Volleyball



 

#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.



Washington State University Women's Volleyball