Dawgs Back In Elite Eight With Sweep Of Arizona

Friday, December 9

Lincoln, NE

11:30 AM

University of Washington

29-4

Arizona

20-15

Arizona

Washington

December 09, 2016 | Volleyball

Box Score Husky Highlights: Dawgs Reach Elite 8 Box Score PDF Postmatch Quotes

By: UW Athletic Communications

LINCOLN, Neb. – The stage is set once again for one of college volleyball's marquee match-ups, as the eighth-seeded Huskies swept their round of 16 match against Arizona to reach the Elite Eight where they will have to upset No. 1-seeded Nebraska on their home court. Washington (29-4) moved into the Elite Eight for the 10th time in program history, and the third time in the past four seasons, with a 25-15, 25-22, 25-18 win, the third time this season that the Huskies topped the Wildcats (20-15).

Washington and Nebraska will now play for a spot in the Final Four at Nebraska's Devaney Center at 1 p.m. Pacific time on Saturday, televised live on ESPNU. It will be the third-straight NCAA tournament meeting between UW and Nebraska, the fourth in the past five years, and the seventh time in the past 12 years, dating back to Washington's 2005 NCAA finals win. Nebraska knocked out the Huskies each of the past two years, and the Huskers went on to win the NCAA title last season, so Washington knows it has a challenge ahead.

Junior Crissy Jones was asked about Saturday's showdown in the post-match press conference, and didn't shy away from it.

"It's obviously one that we are not going to forget, getting knocked out of the tournament by them (Nebraska), for the past – since we've been here – it hits us where it hurts, but we're excited for the challenge," said Jones. "They're going to give us their all and we're going to give them our all and it's going to be great."

Head Coach Keegan Cook has now led the Huskies to two-straight Elite Eights in his two seasons at the helm, in addition to the pair of Pac-12 titles. Cook was thrilled with how the Huskies stayed on their assignments today.

"We've had three tough matches with (Arizona) this season," said Cook. "They make you work for everything, and I know these guys are going to be tired because (Arizona) keeps you off-balance on defense. Really pleased with the team's performance and execution of the scouting report. Did a great job at the net today, and also fighting off a really good serving team. So, pleased for our group and excited about the opportunity they have tomorrow."

Washington's cleaner play and dominant blocking made the difference today against the Wildcats, who reached the Sweet 16 by upsetting No. 9 seed Michigan State last week. The Huskies had 15 total blocks today to just two for Arizona, with seven blocks coming in the first set. Washington hit .292 as a team while holding Arizona to just .110.

The junior trio of Courtney Schwan, Tia Scambray, and Crissy Jones all fittingly finished with 11 kills each. Jones added a team-leading 10 digs for a double-double and had six block assists, while hitting .476, best on the squad. Scambray also had nine digs and four blocks, and Schwan had seven digs and three blocks. Freshman Kara Bajema was in on eight blocks, and had six kills. Setter Bailey Tanner had 34 assists, an ace, and three blocks.

Crissy Jones got the first kill to fall for the Huskies for 1-1 in the first set. Jones and Tanner teamed up for UW's first block to make it 4-5 Wildcats. Schwan backed that up with a second-straight stuff for 5-all. An offpseed swing from Schwan gave the Huskies their first lead at 6-5. After an Arizona error long, the Wildcats took time at 9-6 Dawgs. The Wildcats scored but Schwan ripped crosscourt and then Jones and Niece stuffed one back on Arizona's side for an 11-7 lead. A long rally was ended by Scambray on the left for 13-8. Out of system, Schwan scanned the court quickly and then hit up the left sideline to open space to extend the lead to 14-8 and force Arizona's last timeout. Scambray kept the run going with a booming block out of the timeout. Scambray used the block in transition, hitting high hands for 17-9. The Husky lead hit 10 points with two straight rejections for 19-9. Kara Bajema got her first kill on a slide to make it 21-11. The Dawgs reached set point at 24-14 after an Arizona error, but Jones roofed the next Arizona swing to end it, 25-15. The Huskies rolled to a .379 attack percentage in the first set and the seven blocks held Arizona to just .061. Schwan had five kills and no errors, and Bajema was in on four of the stuffs.

Scambray leaned to her left and brought the ball back sharply down for a kill, and she got a touch call kill on the next point for a 2-1 lead in the second set. Jones hit off the block and down from the right pin and then Jones dropped in a service ace for 5-3. Arizona had a 3-0 run to take the lead, 5-6, but Scambray terminated to tie it back up. Tanner set Schwan for a kill off the block for 9-9, and the same pattern repeated on the next play to put UW back up a point, but Arizona inched back ahead on some tough serving by Arizona's Snuka. Schwan broke the 3-0 Ariona run with a roll shot for 11-12. Arizona held the lead, 13-15, at the media timeout. Tanner had to one-hand a set to Scambray but she dropped it into the middle for 14-15, but Scambray missed long on the next point and Arizona had a transition kill for 14-17. Jones landed one down the right sideline in serve-receive, and the next long rally was ended by Tanner stuffing one to pull UW back within a point. The Dawgs tied it up at 17 with a Scambray kill on the longest rally of the match thus far and Arizona called time. With Jones continuing to serve, an Arizona error out of the timeout got the Huskies back up a point, and then Bajema had a kill off a Wildcats overpass for 19-17 and Arizona used its last timeout. That timeout worked, as Jones served long to end the 5-0 run, but Arizona gave it back with a hitting error after UW had freeballed on the serve-receive. An attack error by the Dawgs had things tied again at 20-20, but Schwan hammered off the block on the next point for the sideout. The Huskies had several swings at the next point but Arizona finally killed it for 21-all, but then served into the net. Jones had a clutch block to keep UW on top, 23-22, and then she got the Wildcats again on the next rally to bring UW to set point at 24-22. Scambray covered a tip attempt on the next point and forced a Wildcats error for the 2-0 lead. Washington hit just .208 but held Arizona to just .093 with Scambray getting six kills and Schwan tallying five.

Jones and Scambray put away two kills early in the third set as the teams traded off through the first four rallies. Scambray drove an ace off the defense for a 4-2 lead. Arizona tied it but Bajema killed a slide for 5-4. Schwan then followed with a stuff straight down, and an Arizona error made it 7-4 Dawgs and the Wildcats took the early timeout. A long rally out of the break was ended by Avie Niece hitting down a Wildcat overpass for 8-4. Arizona rallied and erased the lead with four in a row before serving into the net for 9-8 Dawgs. Jones then rose up and stuffed down another Wildcat swing for 10-8. Two more big kills from Jones kept the Huskies siding out, up 12-10. A tough Destiny Julye serve helped Scambray track the set and she stuffed Arizona for 13-10 and UA used its last timeout. Jones was there for another block out of the timeout, and then Arizona was called for a rotation error for 15-10 before Arizona got a kill to snap the 4-0 Husky run. But UW's block was on point again for the next point, with Scambray and Bajema putting it back down. The teams traded sideouts, with Bajema and Schwan finishing Tanner sets. Another Arizona rotation error was followed by a Jones kill on the touch for a 21-15 lead. Junior Carly DeHoog checked into the match at 22-17, with Arizona then serving into the net and DeHoog subbing back out. Scambray hit off the block and down to get the Huskies to match point at 24-17. Arizona saved the first, but then Bajema delivered a kill on a Tanner quick set to seal the sweep for the Dawgs, 25-18. Washington hit .345 to close it out, with Jones killing five on six attempts without a miss for an .833 percentage in the set.