University of Washington
Oregon State
No. 2 Huskies Turn In Well-Rounded Sweep
November 10, 2014 | Volleyball
SEATTLE – No team could post 25 straight wins without getting contributions from up and down the roster, and that was the formula once again tonight for the second-ranked Husky volleyball team, which put away Oregon State in straight sets, 25-17, 25-15, 25-15 at Alaska Airlines Arena tonight before 3,781 fans. Washington (25-0, 14-0 Pac-12) moved back into a tie for the Pac-12 lead with No. 1 Stanford, with both teams now six games clear of the rest of the conference.
Washington hit .344 as a team and held the Beavers (16-9, 6-8 Pac-12) to a .124 attack mark, with the Huskies leading in kills (43-29), digs (48-37), aces (6-2), and blocks (6.5-5.0). It was the 29th consecutive home win for the Dawgs, and a 23rd consecutive win over OregonState.
A 45th career double-double for senior Krista Vansant was one of many bright spots, as she had 16 kills and 14 digs to go with a pair of aces while hitting .353. She also served the 100th and 101st aces of her career. Junior middle Melanie Wade put down seven of her 11 swings with just one miss for a .545 attack percentage and an ace and two blocks. Senior Kaleigh Nelson had eight kills at a .312 percentage, and freshman Tia Scambray added seven more kills on a .333 clip.
Junior libero Cassie Strickland dug in for 16 digs while UW's two setters neatly divvied up the assists, with 20 from Katy Beals and 19 from Bailey Tanner.
One of the best rallies of the year included this stunner of a dig from Cassie Strickland and the Tia Scambray finish.
The Huskies were in control from start to finish of set one, but let a six-point lead in set two shrink to one point at 15-14, before closing the set on a 10-1 run to take the 2-0 lead to intermission. Another huge streak came in set three from 10-12 down to 18-12 up as Vansant served the eight-point run that proved decisive. Washington's 25 straight wins continues a program record.
“We were pretty consistent,” Head Coach Jim McLaughlin said, “except for when we were up in game two, and they catch us 15-14, and I called a timeout and just got us a little refocused, and then we score five straight points. When we're on task we're awful good, and I think we kind of lost it, and they played well. But for the most part we stayed on it and beat a good team in three.”
McLaughlin was pleased with the defensive play of Vansant, whom he called one of the best defensive players he's ever coached. “Krista has tremendous range, and a really good feel for the game, and she sees the game well. She's playing like she's a libero and I think she can play all areas of the game.”
A long rally on the first point of the match was capped by a Crissy Jones right side finish. Vansant put her first kill down for a 2-1 Husky lead. An ace floated by Katy Beals edged UW up 4-2 and then OSU overpassed the next serve and Melanie Wade tapped it down. Another ace from Vansant made it 8-3 Dawgs. The Beavers scored a pair but Wade had a quick strike set by Beals for 9-5. A Sybeldon slam in serve-receive was followed by a transition tip from Vansant for a 12-7 edge and the Beavers called a timeout. OregonState hit one long and then Scambray dialed up the third Husky ace for 14-7 before missing serve to end the four-point run. Nelson nailed a huge blast from the left side to the floor and added another from the right two rallies later for 18-12. Strickland had one of the plays of the year to dive and punch up a near-OSU block and the Huskies got it to Scambray for a kill to bring the crowd to its feet. Sybeldon and Scambray then teamed for a stuff on the right side, and Scambray dialed up another ace for 21-14 and OSU took its final timeout. Vansant stung one from the left in serve-receive to get the Huskies to set point. A Beavers service error ended it, 25-17. The Huskies hit .308 in the first set, holding the Beavers to .194. Vansant had five kills hitting .357 and the Dawgs benefited from four aces.
The Huskies came out with the first three points of the second set, with a Vansant kill and then an assist to Scambray out of the back row. The Beavers were forced to send over some offspeed shots on the tough Strickland serves, and Vansant transitioned two more kills on the left pin for a 6-0 lead and the Beavers had to take time. The Beavers got an ace off the top of the tape to cut the lead down to 8-4, but Wade came back with a tip over the block on a slide. Sybeldon and Nelson earned a block to build it back to 11-5. OSU had another mini two-point run back before Scambray found the back corner for 12-7. The teams traded sideouts back and forth with Vansant tipping for a kill for 14-9. The Beavers blocked a Vansant swing to make it 14-11, but Jones slammed one from the right to stabilize the Huskies again. An error on the left from Nelson closed the Husky lead to two, and OSU had another transition kill to make it 15-14 and the Huskies called their first timeout of the day. On the first point out of the break, Nelson smartly rolled one deep over the block for a kill, and then the Beavers followed with an error, and Vansant hit out of the back row and found the floor for 18-14 and OSU needed its own timeout. A dig from Strickland on the next point let Beals set Scambray for a kill off the block to extend the run. A triple block from Wade, Nelson, and Scambray made it a five-point run for 20-14. Another block from Nelson and Wade kept the Huskies cruising on the Vansant serve. Amanda Brown had a quick kill for the Beavers to end the 7-0 Husky run, but Wade answered right back. Another booming roof posted by Sybeldon and Nelson got the Huskeis to set point, and then it was Sybeldon and Scambray stopping a tip attempt on the next rally to end it, 25-15, as the Huskies finished on a 10-1 run after their timeout at 15-14. The Huskies heated up to a .310 attack percentage and the late UW stuffs dropped OSU to -.062. Nelson had four of the block assists and Sybeldon added three.
Sybeldon tipped for a kill early in the third but the Beavers won three of the first four points. Hitting through the block and down, Vansant tied it at 3-3. The teams met at several more points until a Arica Nassar kill pushed it to 7-9 in favor of OSU. Vansant had a kill on a Beavers blocking error for 10-11 but the Beavers continuing to put it away in serve-receive consistently. The Huskies got back level at 12-12 after Nelson slammed one in transition. A wild scramble was kept alive by Scambray who punched one over the net with some quick reflexes, and OSU missed its setting connection, and then Vansant followed that up with a service ace for a 14-12 Husky lead and a Beavers timeout. The Dawgs continued their run with a Nelson right side finish, and a Wade transition kill. Another tough Vansant serve took OSU out of rhythm and they missed their set and took a second timeout with Vansant still serving an eight-point run. OregonState got a kill in serve-receive out of the break to stop the run and make it 18-13. Scambray fired right back crosscourt from Beals and then Wade dropped another ace in for 20-13. The Huskies poured it on again towards the finish with kills from Scambray and Vansant and a rocket from Crissy Jones on the left to get to match point at 24-15. On the first chance, Strickland dove for a dig and Tanner tossed it up to Vansant who hit a 16th kill down through the blockers to end it, 25-15. The Huskies hit .429 in the third set, with Vansant going for five kills on eight swings without an error (.625) and adding five digs.
Washington has yet another tough road trip ahead of it now, as the Huskies will visit 21st-ranked Colorado next Thursday, Nov. 13, and then travel to Salt Lake City to play Utah, which is coming off consecutive upsets of USC and UCLA at home, on Saturday the 15th.
