University of Washington
Wisconsin
No. 5 Huskies Block Out No. 4 Badgers In Thriller
September 20, 2014 | Volleyball
Wisconsin (9-1) suffered its first defeat since the NCAA Championship match last December when the Badgers finished as the national runner-up at Seattle's KeyArena.
The Huskies needed to fire in all phases of their game to get the win, but the blocking game was especially dominant, as UW amassed 22.0 blocks on the night compared to 7.5 for the Badgers. After losing the first set for the first time and also trailing two sets to one for the first time this season, the Huskies rolled in the fourth set and then played the crucial points better late in the fifth set to improve to 3-0 in five-setters this season. The Huskies also extended their home court winning streak to 22 matches going back to 2012.
AVCA National Player of the Year Krista Vansant earned Showcase MVP honors as she led the Dawgs with 17 kills plus 11 digs and six blocks for 21.5 points. Also named to the All-Tournament Team for the Dawgs were both middle blockers, Lianna Sybeldon and Melanie Wade. Sybeldon had her second double-double on the season in kills and blocks, with 11 kills and 10 blocks assists, while Wade hit .571 with eight kills and added five blocks and five digs. Junior Cassie Strickland had 20 digs and a key serving run late in the fifth, with Katy Beals leading the offense with 33 assists and 10 digs for a double-double of her own.
“We just got better and better as the match went on and I just think this is a valuable, valuable experience,” said Head Coach Jim McLaughlin. “Being out there, learning what we're learning, missing some assignments but staying on task. The heart of the team is intact, the intangibles are there, we've got to just learn to play the game better for longer periods of time. We had 22 blocks against a good offense, and … that's a good team in a lot of ways. Teams grow, and experiences like this help us grow.”
The Badgers took an early lead, 2-5, in the first set with several early digs, but a solo roof straight down from Scambray pulled UW within 4-5. Three service errors apiece early on showed the tension on both sides. Cassie Strickland tossed in an ace to get UW even at 8-8. Vansant's first swing of the night came on a set from Tanner and tied it at 9-9. A 3-0 run for Wisconsin made it 9-12 and forced a Husky timeout after Lauren Carlini's serve led to an ace and an overpass that was killed. Wisconsin extended the run with a couple more out of the break until Nelson put one down from the left to make it 10-14. Wade pumped down a Beals quick for 11-15. The best rally of the early going was saved by a quick Sybeldon block and eventually finished by Nelson off the block, and then Sybeldon had a stuff for a point to bring the Dawgs back within two. Sybeldon and Nelson roofed another to make it 14-15, and then Wade tied it up with an ace. The Badgers got the sideout on the next point to break the 4-0 Husky run and retake the lead, but Sybeldon answered with a kill. Wisconsin cracked open a two-point lead with Vansant coming up with a pair of huge blasts to the floor to keep the Dawgs within one, and then Washington tied it back up at 20-20 with a huge block from Vansant and Wade. Wisconsin took its first timeout, and Beals served into the net out of the break, but Vansant answered again from the right side. Wisconsin earned a kill, and then Nelson and Scambray sailed shots wide and long and it was suddenly set point at 21-24 and the Huskies took timeout. Wade and Nelson kept UW alive with a block on the right, but Wisconsin finished with a kill in serve-receive for the 25-22 win. Washington hit .152 in the set with Wisconsin at .194. The Badgers had 15 kills to just nine for UW, but the Dawgs had six blocks to one for Wisconsin. Five service errors held the Huskies back.
Scambray got on the board with her first kill for an early 2-1 lead in the second set. Crissy Jones teamed with Sybeldon for another block and a 4-2 edge. A solo stuff by Vansant on the Carlini attempt made it 7-5, Huskies. Wade went to the left hand for a short kill, and Nelson blasted one from the right side as the Huskies moved ahead 10-7. Sybeldon tipped one to the line for a kill and 12-9. The Badgers closed within a point but Jones ended a long rally with a block for 14-12. Vansant then had a solo roof on a Wisconsin slide attempt to get UW to the media timeout with a 15-12 lead. Ellen Chapman put down from the left for Wisconsin out of the break and then the Huskies sent a free ball over that was killed for 15-14. Wade answered, hitting off the block, and then Vansant put one away from the back row to get the lead back to three. Wisconsin bobbled one to make it 18-14 Huskies and the Badgers called time. A Wisconsin kill broke the run but they then served wide. A right side strike from Nelson got UW to 20-16 and the Badgers chose to use their last timeout. Wisconsin earned a kill and backed it up with a second from Thompson. Washington remained out of rhythm as Wisconsin earned two more to tie it up at 20-all before serving into the net. A triple block from Jones, Sybeldon, and Vansant made it 22-21 Dawgs, but the Badgers answered in serve-receive. Vansant had a good look in serve-receive but hit just wide and the Huskies had to call their last timeout now trailing 22-23. Vansant came through out of the timeout with a finish for 23-all. Strickland then got a key dig and Beals set Vansant for another kill and set point, 24-23. On the next point, Wisconsin's Chapman tried to tip a tight set and it landed just wide, as Wisconsin argued for a touch but would not get it. The Huskies ran off level at a set apiece. The Huskies hit .333 in the set compared to .268 for the Badgers, with Nelson, Vansant, and Scambray all recording three kills. Again, blocks were six to one in favor of the Huskies.
Vansant started the third set rolling one short for a kill. Washington's block picked up where it left off, as Sybeldon crushed one down for an early 5-2 lead. A couple Husky service errors helped Wisconsin pull within one, and then an ace tied it up at 7-7. Tanner bumped a set up to Vansant for a finish to get the one-point lead back, but UW missed a third serve early. A Wisconsin ace put it up one, but the Huskies came back with a couple for 10-9. The Badgers swung two back their way before Nelson rolled one in for 11-apiece. A great Wade serve led to another Husky triple block and Washington went up 13-12. Wisconsin looked for the deep tip but went too deep for an error and the Huskies led 15-13 at the media timeout. The Badgers came out of the break with four of the next five points to go up 16-17 and Washington took timeout. Wisconsin missed serve out of the break but got a transition kill to stay on top. More excellent digging from the Badgers earned them a two-point lead, 18-20, and the Huskies took their last timeout. A big-time kill from Scambray on a tough set out of system made it 20-21, but Wisconsin answered in serve-receive. The Badgers added another after a long rally for 20-23. Sybeldon destroyed a Beals set to give UW a shot, but a costly blocking error on the Huskies got the Badgers to set point. UW saved the first with a block from Sybeldon and recently subbed in Courtney Schwan, for 22-24, and Wisconsin took time. On the next rally, Thompson of Wisconsin tipped another slide deep and this time it was on target to end the set, 25-22.
In the fourth set, the Huskies started with a Vansant kill through the block. A roof put up by Scambray and Wade made it 3-1 but Wisconsin quickly leveled it. Another rejection from Scambray, teaming with Sybeldon this time, put the Huskies up 7-5. Bailey Tanner's serve caught the tape and fell for an ace and a 9-5 lead. Tanner got a transition set to Scambray who put it off the defense and out for another kill for 10-5 and Wisconsin took time. Schwan went one-on-one on the right and came away with a solo rejection straight down to extend it before Wisconsin got the kill to snap the 6-0 Husky run. The Dawgs roared back with another 3-0 run, highlighted by Sybeldon jumping up to slam down what was supposed to be a Wisconsin free ball, left too low. A 3-0 Wisconsin run cut the lead from eight down to five at 16-11 and the Huskies called a timeout. The Badgers swung long out of the break, and a tough Vansant serve led to another Husky triple block to build the lead back to 18-11 and Wisconsin called its last timeout. The Huskies used a Nelson kill off the block and some great defense leading to a Wisconsin error to make it 20-12. Sybeldon tipped for another kill and a 21-12 lead. A couple more Badger errors had Washington running away with it by ten, 23-13. Sybeldon pounced on an overdig to get to set point, 24-15. After one service error, Tanner found Sybeldon in the middle for a hammer shot to end it, 25-16. The Huskies hit .303 in the fourth set and held the Badgers to a .000 mark. Sybeldon led with four kills on seven swings and Scambray had three more.
Beals served to start the fifth and Vansant painted the back corner with a kill after Strickland's dig earned the swing. Wade backed that up with a booming strike for 2-0 before Carlini dumped one for Wisconsin's first point. A pair of errors on both sides had it even at 3-3. Another big swing from Wade was followed up by a bang off the block from Scambray for a 5-3 Husky lead. A Badgers blocking error rewarded Vansant with a kill and a 6-4 lead. A near-block got the Huskies a free ball on the next point and Tanner set Sybeldon who hammered it to the corner for a 7-4 lead and Wisconsin called time. Wisconsin got one through the block in serve-receive out of the break, then blocked Vansant after a poor Husky pass and Washington took timeout up just 7-6. Tanner went to Sybeldon twice more on the next rally and she finished the second for 8-6 as the teams swapped sides. Scambray served long and Wisconsin finally marked Sybeldon for a block to tie it up at 8-8, but Vansant ripped the next set crosscourt for a kill. Strickland then bump set Vansant for another rocket to the back line and a 10-8 lead and it was Wisconsin again taking time. Strickland's next serve was passed up over the net, and Wade went up to win the joust for a three-point lead. The Badgers got out of it with a kill from Thomas after a spectacular running bump set from Carlini, but Wisconsin served its next one long for 12-9. Another tight rally ended in a Badgers misfire for 13-9. Wisconsin got one back with a kill and then Vansant missed just long. A frantic rally on the next point was finally finished by Vansant from a Beals back set, which got the Dawgs to match point at 14-11. Wisconsin saved the first with a slide kill in serve-receive. But on the next rally, Beals found Wade again and the junior put down her eighth kill of the night to set off the celebration, as Washington closed it out, 15-12. In the final set, Wade had four kills and Vansant had five with Washington hitting .250 compared to .182 for the Badgers. Crucially, the Huskies also had 12 digs to 10 for Wisconsin, five from Strickland.
In the first match of the evening, USC posted a straight set win over Maryland to finish 1-1 and drop Maryland to 0-2. Lauryn Gillis led the 10th-ranked Trojans with 13 kills in a 25-14, 25-15, 25-21 win.
After the emotional win, the Huskies will dive right into the marathon Pac-12 season, starting at home against Washington State next Wednesday, Sept. 24.
Pac-12/Big Ten Showcase All-Tournament Team
Krista Vansant - Washington, MVP
Lianna Sybeldon - Washington
Melanie Wade - Washington
Courtney Thomas - Wisconsin
Taylor Morey - Wisconsin
Samantha Bricio - USC
Ebony Nwanebu - USC
Ashleigh Crutcher - Maryland
