University of Washington
Maryland
Huskies Top Terps In Pac-12/Big Ten Showcase
September 19, 2014 | Volleyball
SEATTLE – After the first day of the Pac-12/Big Ten Showcase, the two conferences stand at a win apiece, but most importantly for Husky fans it was the Dawgs earning the win in the nightcap, sweeping Maryland 25-20, 25-15, 25-14 in front of 1,352 fans at Alaska Airlines Arena. Washington (10-0) and fourth-ranked Wisconsin (9-0) will now collide for the title on Friday night at 8 p.m. in a meeting of two Final Four teams from a year ago.
In the first match of the evening, the Badgers stayed unbeaten with a come-from-behind win over 10th-ranked USC, 21-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-21. USC and Maryland will start the evening at 5:30 tomorrow.
The Huskies had a sloppy first set, redeemed in part by four service aces, but got stronger as the match went on, eventually finishing at a .307 attack percentage for the match, with 42 kills to just 22 for Maryland (7-3) with the Terps hitting .084. Washington had nine aces on the night to just two for Maryland, and also had a big edge in digs, 40-28.
Senior All-American Krista Vansant had a match-high 12 kills plus 11 digs for a double-double, but freshman outside hitter Tia Scambray shared in the workload, adding 10 kills on 21 swings without an error for a .476 attack percentage plus five blocks. Junior Melanie Wade posted six kills on a .667 attack percentage plus a season-best seven blocks, and Katy Beals and Bailey Tanner shared the team-lead with 15 assists apiece.
“We started slow, and we've got to figure that out,” said Head Coach Jim McLaughlin. “We made some uncharacteristic errors but we cleaned it up and played better. We took a little better swings in transition and had better ball control. Winning the (match) isn't good enough anymore for this group, we've got to make that day in, day out improvement, we really do, and the energy they bring and the ability to focus and keep on task is what separates people.”
In the opening set, Wade landed the first kill and an ace served up by Vansant was followed by a back row kill for a 4-1 UW lead. Wade skipped an ace over the top of the tape for 6-3. A third early ace came from Tanner for a 9-4 edge. Scambray then lined an ace and Vansant tipped for a kill for a 12-6 edge. Nelson hit one into the seam for a kill and a 15-8 lead at the media timeout. Out of the break, Wade spotted the quick attack and stuffed it solo. Maryland took another timeout at 19-11, but UW came out with a Beals set to Scambray for a transition kill, and then a block assist from Sybeldon and Scambray for 21-11. The Huskies made several straight errors as Maryland cut the deficit in half to 22-17 before making a ball-handling error. Vansant had a kill to get UW to set point at 24-17. The Terrapins saved three in a row, including a block of Vansant, but Vansant came back on the fourth chance to terminate and finish it, 25-20. It was the first time this season that the Huskies hit under .100 in a set, as they hit just .094, but Maryland also managed just .080, and UW had four aces to none for the Terps.
The Terps took the first two points of the second set, but Nelson got UW going with three straight kills, and then Wade and Scambray had a rejection for a 4-2 lead. Freshman Courtney Schwan checked in and rolled a kill over and down from the right and Maryland took an early timeout at 7-4 UW. Tanner added an ace off the tape on the first play out of the break. Maryland blocked Vansant once, but she came back with a kill in serve-receive and a tip in transition to make it 11-7. Schwan and Wade teamed up for a block for a five-point cushion. But Maryland answered with a 3-0 run before serving long for 13-10. Two straight Scambray missiles from the left pushed it back up to 16-11, and then Wade had her second solo block of the night for 17-11. After a Maryland attack error for 18-11, the Terps called time. But Vansant came right out with a service ace before Maryland earned a kill to snap the 6-0 Husky run. Vansant sprawled for a dig that led to another Scambray kill in the crosscourt corner for 21-12. Sybeldon put her first kill of the night off the block and down for 22-14, and then tipped her second over the block on the next point. Another Scambray blast brought the Huskies to set point, and a Maryland setting error ended it, 25-15. Washington heated up to .387 in the second set, with Maryland at .167. Scambray had four kills on six swings in the set to hit .667.
Redshirt freshman Jade Finau checked in to start the third set, and she served two straight aces on UW's first two serves of the frame for an early 3-0 lead. A back row tip from Vansant fell for a kill and a 5-1 lead. A Scambray tip into the block went down and it was 6-1 early for a Maryland timeout. A block made it 7-1 before a 3-0 Maryland run closed the gap, ended by a Wade quick kill from a Finau set. Scambray connected on a combo for a 12-6 edge. Two straight blocks with Wade at the center was followed by a Vansant ace for an 18-9 Husky edge. A roll shot kill from Schwan forced Maryland's last timeout at 21-12. Another Schwan kill and a tip from Vansant got the Dawgs to match point, and Wade put down the final swing to end things, 25-14. In the third set, the Huskies continued to climb, hitting .480, with Wade putting away all five of her attacks in the set, and Scambray adding four more.
