Huskies Back In Win Column Sweeping No. 25 Buffs

Sunday, October 8

Seattle, Wash.

3:00 PM

University of Washington

14-3, 4-2Pac-12

Colorado

12-5, 2-4Pac-12

Colorado

Washington

October 08, 2017 | Volleyball

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By: UW Athletic Communications

SEATTLE – A balanced offense and some dialed in defense led the ninth-ranked Huskies to a big 3-0 win over 25th-ranked Colorado before a season-high crowd of 3,063 at Alaska Airlines Arena. Washington (14-3, 4-2 Pac-12) piled up 15 blocks in the 26-24, 25-22, 25-14 victory and also had a three set season-high for digs with 62 to help corral the Buffaloes (12-5, 2-4 Pac-12).

Five different Huskies had at least six kills, with seniors Crissy Jones and Tia Scambray leading the way with 11 apiece. Jones added five blocks and hit .400 (11-1-25) while Scambray had 10 digs, an ace, and three blocks in just her second match back at outside hitter.

Senior Courtney Schwan was back on court for all six rotations after being limited on Friday due to an ankle injury, and she had nine kills on a .280 percentage with a team-high 16 digs plus two aces. Freshman Lauren Sanders completed an outstanding weekend as she hit .533 with eight kills and no errors on 15 swings, two days after she hit .762 with 17 kills against Utah. Sanders also had seven blocks, while Marion Hazelwood added six blocks, five in the first set.

Freshman setter Natalie Robinson had 20 assists and nine digs and senior Jade Finau had 18 assists and 11 digs for her second double-double in as many matches, as UW hit .283 for the night, outpacing Colorado's .121 mark. Sophomore Shayne McPherson contributed 14 digs and five assists. Also of note, UW saw a collegiate debut from freshman defensive specialist Emma Calle, who checked in to serve in set three.

Senior opposite Carly DeHoog, who had six kills and three blocks today, was happy with UW bouncing back from its marathon five set heartbreaker on Friday. "We can't complain with the way we responded after our Friday night match which made us a little tired, coming out and getting a sweep in the Pac-12," DeHoog said. "Every Pac-12 team is good, Colorado is a good team so it was good for us to respond and play some good volleyball, especially in that third set."

The Huskies broke a two-match losing skid and have not lost three straight since the 2003 season. Washington came into the week ranked No. 2 in the NCAA in blocks per set, and this was the first time since the season opener against Pitt that the Dawgs had 15.0 team blocks in just three sets.

"Our coaches get us ready with a good gameplan, and we had really good serving tonight that helped our block set up and get in their faces a little bit on the pins," said DeHoog. "We got on their middles a few times, Lauren and Marion are big up there, and they had some key stuff blocks, which is fun."

Scambray put down the first kill for the Dawgs on the second point of the first set. The teams were even through the first six points. The first UW block by Sanders and Jones put the Huskies up for the first time at 4-3. A tip from Jones fell for a 7-5 Husky edge and then Schwan served up two aces in a row to add to the lead. But Colorado jumped right back into it with a 4-0 run to even it up at 9-9. Jones ended the run with a kill off high hands, and then Jones and Marion Hazelwood stuffed a Buff swing after a strong serve from sophomore Cailin Onosko. Hazelwood had a solo rejection to score for 12-10 Dawgs. The Buffs picked up steam with a 4-0 run to take a two point lead around the media timeout. The Huskies got back even at 17-all with a Sanders and Jones stuff, and then went back on top on another rejection from Sanders and Scambray. But a Colorado kill and then a Husky error made it 18-19 and UW called timeout. Washington gave two more points up on an attack error and then an overpass that was hit down by the Buffs and quickly used their last timeout at 18-21. Out of that break, a long rally with several digs from Schwan was finally finished by Scambray off the block, and then Scambray hit down a 50-50 ball on the next rally to pull UW back within one at 20-21, and Colorado took time. Colorado got the sideout and had a swing at the next point, but Scambray and Hazelwood stuffed it for 21-22. A second-straight stuff, this one from Hazelwood and DeHoog leveled things, and then a third in the middle from Hazelwood on her own pushed the Huskies back into the lead, 23-22, and forced CU's last timeout. Out of the break, the Dawgs scored on a transition Scambray kill set by Robinson to reach set point at 24-22. The Buffs saved the first with a kill in serve-receive, and then tied it with a kill after a lengthy rally to force the crowd back into its seats. Scambray got them right back up by crushing a right side set straight to the floor. On the third set point try, another long rally was finally finished by DeHoog tooling the block for the 26-24 win. Washington hit .212 in the set, holding Colorado to .105 thanks in large part to a huge eight blocks, two solo and three assisted by Hazelwood, while Scambray had six kills to drive the attack.

The Dawgs carried over the momentum from the first set win by racing out to a 4-0 lead in set two, as Jones put down the first two kills from Finau, and then Sanders had a solo stuff. Colorado crept back into it with a 4-1 run, but Scambray and Hazelwoood had a pair of kills to keep a two-point lead at 7-5. After the Buffs tied it at seven, the Dawgs got on a roll, scoring seven of the next eight points to go on top, 14-8. Finau was the server on the big run, and Schwan and Sanders contributed kills with Sanders also in on a pair of rejections. Colorado answered with a 3-0 run to cut the lead in half, with Finau finding Jones on a combo to stop that streak and make it 15-11. A Colorado error and a big block by DeHoog and Hazelwood pushed it back to a four-point lead after the Buffs had got within two. Scambray then forced the Buffs to duck under her serve which landed for an ace and a 20-15 lead. Schwan tipped over the block and down for 22-18. But two in a row from Colorado tightened it back to 22-20 and the Huskies took time. Schwan had a tough set to lean far to her left but she managed to find an open seam for a kill for 23-20, and it was Colorado calling time. The Buffs got a kill after a replay reversal on a line call and then aced the Dawgs to pull within one. Jones responded for the Dawgs with a right side blast to get to set point at 24-22, and after a tremendous dig from Finau on the next point, Schwan set Jones again and she finished once again to end it, 25-22. The Huskies finished with a .268 attack percentage, holding Colorado to .179, as Jones was dominant with six kills on nine swings without a miss.

A transition blast to open space from Sanders started set three and Schwan picked up a pair of early kills for 3-1. A solo block by Scambray on the left pin pushed the lead to 6-3 Dawgs. Scambray then had one swing dug over and out for a kill, and tooled the block on the next point for 8-3. The Buffs battled right back with a 4-0 run, but Robinson found Hazelwood for a quick kill to preserve the lead. Schwan found the far corner crosscourt from the left and then Sanders finished in transition to build the lead back up to five at 13-8. Colorado then hit out of bounds and the Buffs called timeout at 14-8. Colorado snapped the run out of the break but Sanders came right back with a quick strike from Robinson. Schwan then rejected a Colorado swing for 16-9. The Buffs got one kill but UW then pulled away with another 4-0 run as Scambray killed a McPherson set, CU hit out, and then Sanders and Jones teamed for a rejection as UW doubled up the Buffs, 20-10. A kill from Sanders and a free ball poked over by DeHoog that fell into the campfire for a kill had it 23-13. Washington reached match point on a Colorado attack error at 24-13, and Schwan wrapped it up with a final swing for 25-14. Washington rolled to a .412 attack percentage in the final set, with Schwan killing five of eight swings, and Sanders killing four of five, both without making an error.

The Huskies will have a very quick turnaround now as the Oregon schools come to town this week, starting Wednesday night against the 16th-ranked Oregon Ducks with first serve at 7 p.m.