University of Washington
Oregon
Washington Can't Convert Late, Falls At Oregon
October 22, 2011 | Volleyball
Oct. 22, 2011
EUGENE, Ore. - In critical moments at the end of the first two sets, 18th-ranked Oregon played just a bit better than the seventh-ranked Washington volleyball team, and what was nearly a dead even match turned into a tough 3-0 defeat for the Huskies at Matt Knight Arena. Each of the first two sets went to extra points, and UW could not take advantage of five set points in the second set, losing 27-25, 30-28, 25-18.
The Huskies (16-4, 8-4 Pac-12) and Ducks split the season series, with UW having won in three sets in Seattle earlier this season. Washington will now head home to host Arizona State next Friday night and then Arizona on Sunday after a 1-3 road string with three defeats at ranked opponents.
The difference was as simple as putting the ball away, as Oregon had 61 kills to just 39 for the Huskies. Washington hit solid overall, connecting at a .221 rate, but Oregon was up at .283 by night's end. The Ducks killed 44% of their overall attempts while the Huskies were at just 32%. Freshman Krista Vansant and junior Kylin Muñoz each had 11 kills and senior Evan Sanders had 30 assists.
UW's NCAA-leading block was effective again, putting down 12 blocks to just four for the Ducks, led by Bianca Rowland who had eight block assists. But despite leading the Pac-12 in aces coming in, UW managed just one service ace and surrendered four to Oregon, and the Ducks had a digs advantage of 66 to 48.
Washington opened up a 9-5 lead early in the first set with back-to-back blocks, both involving Rowland. But the Ducks used a 3-0 run to tied it up at 14-all. Two Oregon miscues had the Huskies back up 17-15, but Oregon got even again. There would be nine more tie scores down the stretch as the teams traded blows. Freshman Summer Ross got a kill as Oregon was in the net for a 21-20 lead, but then Oregon took its first lead since 4-3 on a Muñoz miss and an Ariana Williams kill, 22-21. The Huskies could never get back in front. At 23-all, Williams finished for set point for the Ducks, but Vansant got the kill to save one. Vansant would save another set point two points later to even it at 25-25. But Muñoz got called in the net on the next rally, and then Savannah Paffen grabbed the set for Oregon, 27-25, with a kill. The Huskies actually outhit the Ducks in the frame, .375 to .357, with Muñoz hitting .455 with six kills, but Oregon had 21 kills to 14 total for UW.
The Huskies raced right back out to a big early lead in the second set, going up 5-0 started by a Lauren Barfield kill, and including a Vansant solo block of Alaina Bergsma, and a Vansant ace. Washington maintained that five point cushion for much of the early part of the set. Consecutive kills from Muñoz and Rowland had the Huskies up 16-11, until Oregon responded with a 3-0 run to force UW's first timeout of the set up 16-14. But after the Ducks cut the lead to one on two occasions, Vansant posted two straight kills, and a Oregon error prompted a Ducks timeout with UW back up 20-16. Out of the break, Vansant finished again and then Barfield found the floor and it seemed the Huskies had the set well in hand at 22-16. But Fischer got a kill to end the run, then followed that with an ace, and a Bergsma kill on the next point prompted UW to call time. Sanders caught Oregon off guard with a setter dump out of the break to end the string, and Vansant brought UW three set points at 24-21 with another kill. All three went by the wayside in the turning point of the match. Muñoz missed long and wanted the touch call, then Bergsma terminated again, and Ross had a tip attempt blocked to tie things at 24-all. Barfield finished out of the middle to get a fourth set point for the Dawgs at 25-24, but Bergsma rescued Oregon again. The Ducks got their first set point at 26-25, but Muñoz kept UW alive with a finish, and then Sanders and Rowland rejected Fischer to put UW back on the verge of the set. Again they couldn't finish, as Ross missed her serve just long. The Ducks went back ahead and then missed their own serve, but Williams killed out of the middle and then Bergsma ended it in deflating fashion, scoring the ace off the Husky defense for the 30-28 win. It was the longest set of the year for the Dawgs. Vansant had five kills in the set but Bergsma had eight for the Ducks, who outhit the Huskies in the frame, .216 to .189.
Despite the heartbreaking second set, the Huskies hung in early in the third set, coming back from a 9-6 deficit to get within 11-12 as Vansant and Ross had back-to-back kills. Rowland and Muñoz rejected Williams to trim the lead to one again at 12-13, but then Oregon ran off three in a row to force UW's last timeout at 12-16. Rowland broke the string, but the Ducks were swinging away now with the cushion, and pushed the lead to 20-14 on a 7-1 run with two consecutive blocks from Paffen and Brenner. Sanders and Rowland answered with a block to make it 14-20. UW would get no closer, as despite two more late Husky blocks, that was the only way they were finishing points, as Rowland's kill at 17-13 was their final kill of the match. Oregon finished off the sweep, 25-18. The Huskies hit just .135 in the final set though Ross was strong with three kills on six swings without an error.
