University of Washington
UNLV
Dawgs Dispatch Rebels To Take Third Tourney
September 13, 2014 | Volleyball
SEATTLE – Another 3-0 week is in the books for the fifth-ranked Husky volleyball team, after the Dawgs took care of UNLV in straight sets in the nightcap of a double-header at Alaska Airlines Arena. Washington (9-0) defeated UC Davis earlier in the day, and then secured the team title for The Invitational In Seattle with a 25-10, 25-7, 25-23 victory over the Rebels (7-3) in front of 1,297 fans.
The Huskies played two of their best sets of the season to take the 2-0 lead tonight, then had to scrap to close out their sixth set win of the day. In the end, UW ended up with advantages across the board, outhitting the Rebels, .319 to .030, with 47 kills to just 21 for UNLV, and 11.0 blocks to 3.0 for their opponent. All-American Krista Vansant led all players with 13 kills and added 13 digs for her second double-double this season, while hitting .429. Junior setter Katy Beals had 21 assists and matched her career-high with 15 digs for a double-double of her own.
Freshman Tia Scambray hit .412 with nine kills and four blocks, and junior middle blocker Lianna Sybeldon was a force at the net with 10 block assists and six kills, hitting .455.
“Two really well played games in all phases,” said Head Coach Jim McLaughlin, looking at sets one and two. “We took care of the ball, we had good timing, played fast, got in good spots defensively, and put a lot of pressure on them. So we're moving forward, and making progress. We need a little bit of rest and then we'll work hard and get ready for Maryland and Wisconsin.”
Junior Melanie Wade also played a huge role, as she hit .455 with six kills but also triggered several long runs with her serving. She was at the service line for an 11-0 Husky run in the first set, a 6-0 run in the second set, and a 5-0 run in set three.
“Mel, serving the way she did, really opened it up for us,” McLaughlin said. “She has a lot of ability and can do a lot of things, but she also knows she has to make some improvements in her blocking and get better. But she did a good job this whole weekend.”
In set one, freshman Crissy Jones grabbed an early kill, and Vansant picked up two as the teams were even through the first ten points. Nelson had a kill and then the Rebels had a rotation error followed by a UNLV miss out of bounds to make it 8-5 Dawgs. A Scambray finish made it 9-7, which sent Wade to the service line. She would not leave for eleven points, and until UNLV had exhausted both timeouts, as UW went on a roll with the middle serving, going off to a 19-7 lead before UNLV got the side out. Sybeldon had three kills and a pair of block assists during the run, with Beals doing great work for the Huskies' transition rhythm. Redshirt freshman Jade Finau hit some more tough serves to move closer to set point, and then Sybeldon and Wade had two straight kills off Finau assists for end it, 25-10. The Dawgs hit .406 in the first set while holding UNLV to .000 with eight kills but eight errors. Sybeldon led all Dawgs with four kills on six swings without an error, and she added four block assists.
An assisted block from Nelson and Sybeldon was followed by a pair of Scambray kills, and Sybeldon tipped over for a kill as the Huskies went on another early run with Wade serving. It was a 6-0 Husky run before a Bree Hammel kill made it 6-2 Huskies. Scambray had a solo rejection on the opposite side and then Jones found some floor space for a kill and a 9-2 lead as UNLV called for time. Another transition kill for Scambray off a Strickland bump set made it 10-2 before Finau served long. The lead reached ten as Vansant and Sybeldon roofed Winters for a 13-3 edge. Finau set Scambray out of the back row who punished it off the defense and out for a 15-3 edge. A Strickland jump serve got UW a free ball and Wade killed the quick set to make it 18-4 Huskies. Vansant and Nelson hit from the left and right to keep UW moving, and then Beals floated an ace for a 22-5 lead. Scambray hammered a Beals set off the Rebel back row and down to get to set point, and Sybeldon and Nelson ended the frame with a rejection of a Hammel swing, as the Dawgs ran into the locker room with the 25-7 win, up two sets to none. Washington rolled up a .536 attack mark in the second set, to -.077 for UNLV. Scambray had five kills and Vansant added four, both on .444 attack percentages, and Jones had three kills on four swings without a miss.
The Rebels staked themselves an early lead at 1-3 in the third set, but freshman Courtney Schwan got her first kill and then Strickland got UW on a roll. Her jump serve was shanked for a Husky ace, and then her next two serves were both overpassed, with Wade killing one and Vansant the next to put UW ahead 6-4. The Rebels had a setting error and then Vansant ended a long rally with a crosscourt slam from the Finau set for 8-4, capping a 6-0 Husky run. The Rebels had a 3-0 run to tie it back up at 10-10, but Schwan answered with an emphatic swing from the left for 11-10. Schwan then got the lion's share of a block and UNLV swung into the net as UW moved back on top, 13-10. Nelson tooled the block and then Schwan and Sybeldon had a booming block to make it 15-10, capping another five-point Wade serving run. The Rebels had another three-straight to inch closer but Vansant hit for a kill out of the back row for 16-13. A Sybeldon soft tip fell for a kill and 17-15. UNLV got all the way back even at 17-all, but Vansant came up with a decisive swing to the back line. The teams tied again at 18, and 19, with Vansant and Nelson getting the kills in serve-receive to keep UW up one. Scambray checked back in and tipped over the block to pad the lead, and then a Beals set to Vansant out of the back row was hammered down for 22-19 and UNLV took timeout. The Rebels took the next point but Beals found Wade in the middle for a kill and 23-20. A lucky roll went UNLV's way on an ace off the top of the net for 23-22, and the Rebels had a free ball on the next point but swung wide for match point at 24-22. After saving the first match point, the Dawgs put it on ice as Sybeldon got her 10th block assist of the night, teaming with Scambray to stop the Daryn Glenn swing and avoid extra point play, 25-23. The Huskies cooled off to .151 in the final set, but Vansant still came away with seven big kills in the set on a .400 attack mark, while Beals kept rallies alive with eight digs in the frame.
Washington has two more huge non-conference matches next week at home before transitioning into the Pac-12. The Huskies will host the four-team Pac-12/Big Ten Showcase next Thursday and Friday, with USC, Maryland, and Wisconsin coming in. USC will play Wisconsin on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. followed by UW and Maryland at 8:00 p.m., and the match-ups will reverse on Friday with the Trojans playing the Terrapins in the early match and the Huskies and fourth-ranked Badgers meeting at 8:00. All four matches will be live on the Pac-12 Networks.
