Dawgs Step Up In Eugene, Sweeping No. 20 Ducks

Friday, October 7

Eugene, OR

8:00 PM

University of Washington

13-2, 3-2Pac-12

Oregon

11-3, 4-1Pac-12

Washington

Oregon

October 07, 2016 | Volleyball

Box Score Husky Highlights: Dawgs Sweep Ducks Box Score PDF

By: UW Athletic Communications

EUGENE, Ore. – The eighth-ranked Husky volleyball team picked up one of its biggest wins of the season thus far with one of its most complete efforts, knocking off 20th-ranked Oregon in straight sets to snap UO's 11-match win streak. Washington (13-2, 3-2 Pac-12) controlled the first two sets, then rallied with the final four points of the match to hand Oregon (11-3, 4-1 Pac-12) its first conference defeat, 25-20, 25-18, 25-23, in front of 3,136 fans at Matthew Knight Arena.

The Dawgs got their fourth win in a row at Oregon, holding the Pac-12's leading offense coming in to just .177 tonight, well under its season average of .313, while UW hit .230, and also led in total kills (44-40), aces (5-1), and blocks (7.0-3.0) with the Ducks holding an edge in digs (64-59).

"I wish people knew how hard that is, to come in on the road against an outstanding offensive team like Oregon and get a win, let alone in three sets," said Head Coach Keegan Cook. "There's a lot of stories behind the story. We had a tough week of practice, and some people made some improvements. People making one more play than they made last week. Shayne making one more pass. Courtney making one more serve, and that added up to a pretty outstanding performance."

Freshmen Shayne McPherson and Kara Bajema had perhaps their best matches yet, as McPherson dug up 22 balls in the three sets and provided solid passing all night, and Bajema put away a career-high 12 kills, hitting .450, and even provided a shot of inspiration as she went down with a foot injury at the end of the second set, but came back out to start set three and continued to be effective to the end.

Junior Courtney Schwan led all players with 14 kills, hitting .262, and added 10 digs for a double-double. Tia Scambray also had nine kills and eight digs with a couple blocks and an ace, and junior Bailey Tanner sent out 30 assists and added six digs.

Tia Scambray put down the first kill for the Dawgs off a bump set from Schwan for 2-2 in the first set. An overpass off a Bajema serve was put down by Schwan for a 4-2 Husky edge. A quick kill from Avie Niece in serve-receive made it 5-3 Dawgs. Tanner kept her serving run going, and UW won a long rally after Oregon ran down two Husky swings and sent over a pair of free balls before Schwan finally finished to make it 8-3 and Oregon took timeout. Oregon came out of the break and had a 3-0 run to close to 8-6 before Schwan rolled one into the middle for a kill. Bajema's first kill of the night kept the three-point lead at 11-8. Tanner then dumped on second contact for a 12-8 lead. Bajema tooled the block on a slide for a 15-11 Husky lead. Oregon served an ace for 15-13 and the Huskies called their first timeout. A couple Oregon errors got UW back to a 17-14 lead. A solo rejection from Schwan on the left pin made it 18-15. Shayne McPherson then lined UW's first ace off the Duck defender's hands for a 20-16 lead and Oregon took its final timeout. UW got a free ball out of the break but Bajema missed a quick wide. The Huskies got a break back as Jones pushed a free ball deep and it couldn't be controlled by UO for a big point at 21-17. Bajema had a slide drop to make it 23-17, but Oregon came back with a pair of points to cut into the lead and the Huskies used their last timeout. Jones missed long on a pipe but then Oregon served long for set point Dawgs. On the next point, the set took Schwan right into the block, but she smartly poked it off the block and away for the kill and the 25-20 set win. The Huskies outhit the Ducks, .238 to .171 in the first set, with Schwan's five kills leading the way while Scambray added four, hitting .429, and McPherson had eight digs.

Bajema started the second set with a big smack in serve-receive for the first point. A second Bajema kill, this one on a slide, made it 2-1. A third Bajema kill in the early run and a UO error had it at 4-2, and then Schwan terminated in transition to add one more. Bajema then dropped an ace short and Oregon took its first timeout at 6-2. Bajema served long out of the break, but Schwan came back with a roll shot kill for 7-3. Another quick set from Tanner to Bajema connected for 11-7 Dawgs. Scambray then won a tough joust at the net for 12-7. A big block from Bajema made it 13-8. Washington made three errors in a row as the Ducks moved back within a point at 14-13 and the Huskies called timeout. Niece got the Dawgs out of that skid with a big swing for 15-13. Schwan spiked a Scambray set in transition on the next point to get to 16-13. Schwan and Niece then rejected the Oregon slide attempt for 17-13 and the Ducks took time. The Ducks picked up two, but Schwan responded with a left side hammer, and then Jones and Niece sent an Oregon swing back for 19-15. Schwan and Bajema each found the floor to get a 21-16 lead. Oregon closed within three again, but Scambray got a big point on a kill off an Oregon dig above the net for 22-18. Oregon then missed long, and a Jones float serve was overpassed and Scambray hammered it to reach set point, at 24-18. The Ducks then swung into the net on the next point to end it as the Dawgs took the set, 25-18. Schwan had five more kills in the second set while Bajema had five as well despite going out late in the set with a foot or ankle injury. UW hit .293 in the set and held Oregon to .121.

Bajema came back in to start the third set, and had a block with Scambray on the second rally of the set. Niece converted a quick to even the frame at 3-all. Jones got going with a couple kills as the teams continued to trade off. The Huskies took their first lead at 7-6 after an Oregon error helped by a big dig from McPherson. Oregon evened it up, but Bajema put a slide straight to the floor for 10-9 Dawgs. A replay reversal went UW's way as Schwan benefited with the kill instead of the called error for 11-10 Huskies. Jones went high hands in serve-receive for the point for 14-12. Bajema ended a long rally with another smash from the middle for 15-13 at the media timeout. Oregon missed a set and then Jones fired a service ace to extend to 17-13 and the Ducks took time. Out of the break, Oregon rallied with three in a row and the Huskies had to take timeout at 17-16. Washington hit wide on the next point and Coach Cook went to Jade Finau and Carly DeHoog for the first time. The Ducks served right into the net, however, and the two subbed back out without a touch. Scambray then floated an ace to give UW the lead back at 19-17, and Oregon used its final timeout. A long rally ended in an Oregon error but UO challenged looking for the Husky touch, and Oregon was rewarded with the reversal and that tied the set at 19-19. Another marathon rally featured Jones tracking down a second touch at UW's bench and Schwan found the floor to make it 20-19 Dawgs, but Oregon answered for 20-all. The Ducks then won two more lengthy rallies to open a 20-22 lead and the Huskies used their final timeout. Schwan leveled a Tanner set in serve-receive to get UW back within a point. The Huskies had a couple swings to tie, but Oregon blocked Schwan for 21-23. Niece and Jones then had a critical stuff of the Ducks for 22-23. As the tension continued to build, Scambray set off a Husky celebration by finishing a long rally to get UW back level, 23-23. Schwan then stepped up and floated an ace to suddenly put the Dawgs up match point, 24-23. On the next point, Oregon's first swing was dug perfectly by a diving McPherson, and Tanner set back to Jones on the right who swung into the seam and Oregon could only get a hand on it but it flew out of reach as the Dawgs finished the rally and sealed the sweep, 25-23. The Huskies closed on a 4-0 run to win it, and came through despite being outhit, .173-.211, in the set, helped by three aces and a huge nine digs from McPherson.

Washington will stop next in Corvallis to take on Oregon State this Sunday, Oct. 9, in a 3:00 p.m. match that will be live on the Pac-12 Networks national channel.