University of Washington
Washington State
Huskies Sweep Apple Cup Nightcap In Pullman
November 23, 2012 | Volleyball
Nov. 23, 2012
PULLMAN, Wash. - The fifth-ranked Husky volleyball team put a little damper into the spirits of a raucous 1,289 Cougar fans packed into Bohler Gym looking for another Apple Cup upset, as Washington closed out the regular season with a sweep of Washington State. The Huskies (23-6, 14-6 Pac-12) will now head into the postseason and will learn their NCAA fate this Sunday at 1 p.m. when the selection show is shown on ESPNU.
Senior Kylin Muñoz had 13 kills, hitting .310 and adding eight blocks and two aces to lead the Dawgs. Washington's defense smothered the Cougars (13-19, 3-17), holding WSU to a .000 attack percentage (22 kills, 22 errors) en route to a 25-15, 25-17, 25-22 victory. The Dawgs had big advantages in kills, 38-22, and aces 10-1, and posted 14.5 blocks while the Cougars had 7.5.
Freshman Melanie Wade had a strong overall match, hitting .500 with five kills, a season-high four aces and four blocks. Senior Amanda Gil provided more defensive prowess, blocking 10 balls in just three sets. Junior Jenna Orlandini had 17 digs and freshman Katy Beals had a match-high 20 assists.
After Melanie Wade put down the first kill of the night for the Dawgs, Cassie Strickland followed up with the first ace. Kylin Muñoz tipped for a kill and then banged one off the block for a 5-3 lead, and then Wade aced the back line defense and then shot the next serve to the sideline for another ace and WSU called time at 7-3. Parker joined the early ace barrage with one for a 10-5 edge. A big block from Wade and Muñoz kept UW in front, and then Gil had a solo block of the WSU setter's tip attempt for 15-10. A third ace from Wade added another point to the lead, but the Cougars answered with a 3-0 run to cut the lead to 16-13 and force UW into its first timeout. The Huskies got out of the run on a WSU attack error, and then got rolling on one of their best streaks of the season, behind the serving of Muñoz. Parker slapped down an overpass and Muñoz fired an ace to the back line to rebuild the Husky lead to 19-14 and force the Cougars' second timeout. The break did not disrupt Muñoz's rhythm, as she fired another ace, and then Nelson and Gil roofed Todorovich for a 21-14 lead. Nelson slammed an overpass and UW kept streaking as Parker and Gil posted consecutive rejections to bring UW to set point before the Cougars got Muñoz off the service line with a point, ending an 8-0 Husky run. But Parker came right back with a tip kill on the next play to end it, 25-15. Washington served up seven aces in the set, three by Wade, and posted six blocks, five from Gil.
Washington's first two points of the second set came on two more stuffs, one from Muñoz and Wade, and one from Muñoz and Gil. A couple WSU miscues were followed by a Parker ace, and then Orlandini bump set Strickland in transition and she put down her first kill for a 7-4 lead and WSU took time with UW on a 4-0 run. Beals found Muñoz for a right side finish off the block, and then Wade and Muñoz met the Harris swing and sent it backwards as the Dawgs moved out to a 13-7 cushion. Muñoz connected on two more to keep the Cougars at bay, 15-9. The teams kept trading blows, with Strickland raising up for a block assist with Gil, and Nelson then put one crosscourt and down for an 18-12 edge. However, Washington missed long on two straight rallies and had to call timeout as WSU had cut the lead in half at 18-15. The Cougars missed serve out of the break to end the run, but UW returned it right back. Washington fully grabbed momentum back late with a 3-0 run to 22-16 that prompted WSU's last timeout. During the run, Washington State missed one wide, then Muñoz put one off the defense and into the crowd, followed by a block for Muñoz and Gil on the Todorovich tip attempt. The Dawgs kept rolling, with Wade notching her fourth ace of the night, and then Muñoz tallying one more from the right to bring up set point. Wade missed her next serve, but Parker landed one assisted by Beals on the next rally to seal it, 25-17. Muñoz had five kills in the frame, and UW had five more blocks, holding WSU to negative attacking numbers for the second set in a row at -.057.
Muñoz earned two more kills to start the third set and a Parker leftside swing made it 3-1 early. The teams traded sideouts for several points, with UW holding the slim edge and two kills coming from Nelson on the right and Gil and Wade each producing points. The Dawgs went on a mini-run behind a WSU error and a stuff by Muñoz and Wade to take a 9-5 lead and prompt a Cougar timeout. Wade spiked a quick Beals set, but WSU had a couple big blocks in transition to keep UW in check. The blocks became epidemic and the Huskies got stymied twice more and needed timeout with the lead down to 11-10. Washington answered back out of the timeout with a roof of its own, Gil and Muñoz stopping Harris. Nelson and Gil had finishes to keep UW with the slim lead, until WSU got a friendly bounce off the tape as a serve rolled over and fell to tie it at 15. But the Dawgs would not fall behind. Another nice hook-up between Beals and Wade made it 17-16, but WSU tied it again on the next rally. Muñoz destroyed a combo set for 19-18, but WSU won a long rally on the next point to tie it again and fire up the crowd. Again UW answered, Nelson finishing from the left for 20-19, then Parker let out a big breath and served an ace straight to the court. A Husky triple block put UW one more point closer, but the Cougars came back with a kill and a miss by Strickland tied things again at 22 and UW called timeout. WSU donated serve out of the break, and then Muñoz put one down off the block in transition to suddenly bring match point up at 24-22. After a brief exchange, the ball came Muñoz's way again, and the senior smacked her 13th and final kill off the night as UW closed on a 3-0 run to take it, 25-22.
