University of Washington
Boise State
No. 9 UW Tops Boise State In Game One
September 04, 2010 | Volleyball
Sept. 4, 2010
BOISE, Idaho - In the first of two matches today, the ninth-ranked Huskies downed Boise State, 25-20, 25-21, 25-12 at BSU's Bronco Gym as part of the Northwest Challenge. The Huskies improved to 4-0, and can take the tourney title with a win over Gonzaga this afternoon in a match slated to start at 4 p.m. Pacific.
Washington stepped up late in each of the first two sets to quiet the vocal crowd of 718 Bronco fans, then dominated the third set to complete the sweep. Senior All-American Kindra Carlson led with 13 kills, hitting .435, while junior All-American Bianca Rowland had a season-best 12 kills with a .500 attack mark. All-American setter Jenna Hagglund had 38 assists and helped the Dawgs hit .386 as a team. Redshirt frosh Jenna Orlandini had her second-straight double-figure digs effort with 12.
The first set was close throughout, with neither team holding more than a two point lead more than halfway through. Carlson's fifth kill of the set put the Huskies ahead 15-13, and Rowland also had three kills early on. Leading 16-15, the Huskies made a break for the end of the set, starting with a block assist going to Rowland and Kylin Muñoz. Sophomore Kelly Holford then floated two-straight serves off the Bronco defense for aces and BSU needed a timeout with UW up 19-15. After the Broncos briefly interrupted the run, Hagglund came back and dialed up Rowland, Becky Perry, and Carlson for three-straight Husky points, forcing another Bronco timeout. Carlson closed out the set, 25-20, with her seventh kill of the frame. The Dawgs hit .382 for the set and Hagglund had an impressive 15 assists. Rowland hit .714 with five kills on seven swings.
Muñoz began a big set for her with three-straight kills to give the Huskies a 3-0 lead in the second set. Rowland then posted UW's next three putdowns, but a BSU rally got the score tied at 6-all. Two more finishes from Rowland, last year's Pac-10 attack percentage leader, put UW up 12-11, but they went to her once too many times and Alisha Young got the block to tie it. An ace from Young capped a 4-0 Bronco run as they took an 18-16 lead and UW needed its first timeout. Perry put one down out of the break, then BSU made consecutive errors and needed a timeout of their own at 19-19. Carlson gave the Dawgs their final lead with a kill, then Muñoz added her fifth of the set for a 22-20 lead and BSU used its last timeout. But Washington could sniff the finish and two more kills from Carlson clinched it, 25-21. Muñoz hit .444 in the set (5-1-9) and Hagglund racked up another 15 assists.
Set three would lack the suspense of the first two as the Husky defense smothered BSU. At 5-5, UW went on a run started by consecutive kills from Perry, an ace from Haglund, and a BSU miscue for a 9-5 lead. Kelcey Dunaway and Carlson rebuffed a Bronco attack, followed by a Muñoz smash and a big ace from Perry that finally forced Boise State to take time with UW up 13-6. The Huskies briefly lost focus, allowing BSU to cut the gap to three, but Rowland got the sideout with a kill, then Carlson served UW on another run, pounding three aces in a six-serve string. She finally missed on serve to end the run, but Holford served the match out with help from two blocks by Hagglund and Rowland, 25-12. Boise State couldn't muster any offense in the third set, with just three kills and seven errors for a -.222 hitting percentage while UW sizzled at .467.
A win later today against the Bulldogs would give the Huskies their third-straight Northwest Challenge title.
