University of Washington
Eastern Washington
No. 8 Huskies Serve Up Sweep Of Eastern
August 28, 2010 | Volleyball
Aug. 28, 2010
SEATTLE - The eighth-ranked Huskies wrapped the season-opening Invitational In Seattle, Washington with another convincing sweep, and will venture out on the road carrying a 2-0 record after topping Eastern Washington 25-13, 25-15, 25-13 tonight at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Washington racked up 14 aces on the night, its most in two years led by the four from senior Becky Perry.
Six Huskies in all had an ace, and five Huskies had multiple service winners. Perry and senior Kindra Carlson (three aces) sent powerful jump serves off the Eagle defenders and into the crowd of 1,876, while senior Jenna Hagglund, junior Bianca Rowland, and redshirt freshman Jenna Orlandini each had two aces with well-placed float serves. The last time the Huskies had 14 aces was back on Sept. 4, 2008 against Gonzaga.
Once they got into the points, the Huskies were no less effective. They hit .393 for the night and caught fire in the third set, hitting a phenomenal .647. Carlson and Perry shared the team lead with eight kills apiece while Rowland had six kills with no errors and five blocks.
"We settled down and got into a good sideout rhythm in the third game," said head coach Jim McLaughlin. "The second half of that game we were siding out at a good number. We got better as the match went. They came at us out of the chute hammering balls, we were on our heels a little bit and didn't pass well, but we came out of it and stabilized which was good."
Muñoz got the first Husky point with a smart swing off the net for the kill. Eastern took a one-point lead but UW responded with three straight including the first kills for Perry and Carlson. Barfield and Carlson were on time for an attack by Esther Warren and sent it back down for a 13-8 Husky lead and an EWU timeout. Perry though bounded out of the timeout with back-to-back aces as UW built its lead. Orlandini picked up her first career ace to force another Eastern timeout, and then walked back out and pinpointed another ace for a 19-9 Husky lead. On set point, Carlson flew in from the back row and rifled one to the floorboards, clinching the set for UW, 25-13. Carlson hit .800 in the set with four kills on five swings. The Huskies hit .429 in set one, holding the Eagles to .192.
Hagglund and Rowland got the Huskies rolling in the second set with a rejection for a 3-1 lead. The senior setter then got to let loose with a rare swing to get her first kill off an overpass, and Perry and Rowland teamed up for a deafening block on the next point for a 6-2 lead. Eastern hung tough until Carlson went back to serve, and became the third Husky on the night to string consecutive aces together, forcing an Eastern timeout down 13-8. A block assist split between Hagglund and Rowland brought on yet another timeout with the Huskies up 17-9. Carlson made the Eagles pay for a free ball off a Hagglund serve, then Hagglund picked up her first ace to double up UW at 22-11. Eastern surprised the Huskies with back-to-back blocks on set point, but Carlson didn't let things linger with her sixth kill on her next chance, ending the set at 25-15.
Freshman Gabbi Parker started the third set for the Huskies, and Rowland slid over to the outside hitter spot as she continues to work both spots. Rowland's kill down the right side tied it at five, and she followed that up with her first ace of the season for a 6-5 lead. Perry's fourth ace of the night capped a 3-0 run and the Eagles called time with UW up 10-8. Parker's first career kill came on a tough swing that she placed high and on the back line for a 13-11 lead. Perry then continued the rally with back-to-back kills, and an Eastern error kept Kelly Holford at the service line. The next point was a rejection from Hagglund and Rowland and EWU took its last timeout as UW continued to pull away, 17-11. Barfield's third kill of the night was backed up by a roof with Perry to give UW a 22-13 edge. Perry's went up the line on the left side for an eighth kill, and the Eagles overpassed a Hagglund serve that Barfield made them pay for with another blast. On a night that UW tortured the Eagles with their serves, it was only fitting that the final point was a Hagglund ace, as UW finished the set and match, 25-13.
The Huskies set the stat sheet ablaze in the third, hitting .647 with 13 kills on 17 attacks and just two errors.
Washington will stay in the Northwest but leave the state next weekend, as they head to Boise, Idaho for the Northwest Challenge, hosted by Boise State. The Huskies will take on Portland State on Friday, Sept. 3, then play a double-header on Saturday against Boise State at 12 noon and Gonzaga at 4 p.m. Pacific.
