No. 3 Huskies Off And Blocking In Opening Sweep

Friday, August 25

Seattle, Wash.

6:00 PM

University of Washington

1-0

Pittsburgh

0-1

Pittsburgh

Washington

August 25, 2017 | Volleyball

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By: UW Athletic Communications

SEATTLE – The Husky blocking game was ready to pounce in the season opener, as third-ranked UW piled up 17 total blocks in the 2017 debut, a successful sweep of a talented Pittsburgh squad. This marks the 16th straight season-opening win for the Huskies, who had 1,176 fans on hand for the 25-17, 26-24, 25-16 victory.

Two new middle blockers led the effort at net for the Dawgs, as freshman Lauren Sanders had a team-high nine blocks, and new transfer senior Marion Hazelwood had seven block assists. Both also provided seven kills apiece, Sanders without an error as the Snohomish, Wash. product hit .583.

Senior Courtney Schwan led the offense with 11 kills, adding seven digs and four blocks, and junior Destiny Julye was just one kill off a double-double, as she had nine kills (a .529 attack percentage) to go with a career-high 11 digs. Senior Tia Scambray, starting at libero for the first time in her career, also had 11 digs and served a pair of aces.

It was a strong opening win against a talented Panthers squad that made the NCAA second round last year and is ranked just outside the top-25. Washington hit .326 as a team and held the Panthers to a .115 mark. Senior Bailey Tanner handed out 37 assists while another senior, Carly DeHoog, had a strong match with five kills and a career-high eight blocks.

"We knew that they were a good offensive team so really knew that they could score the ball so to have us block (seventeen) balls took a lot of hard work by our guys," said Head Coach Keegan Cook. "Destiny managed her game tonight really well, scoring the ball when she had chances and kept the ball in play when she was in tough situations. Lauren Sanders was a force at the net tonight … she did a nice job both offensively and defensively."

Marion Hazelwood picked up her first Husky kill and the first kill of the season for the Dawgs on a slide set from Tanner for 2-2. Freshman Lauren Sanders then rotated in and had the first block of the season teaming with Courtney Schwan for 4-5, followed by an ace from Schwan for 5-all. Destiny Julye picked up a couple kills to keep things even. Schwan landed her first roll shot over a big block for 11-9, and then Sanders got the most of another rejection for 12-9. A transition kill from Sanders made it 13-9 and Pitt took timeout. Sanders added two to her kill total as the Huskies owned a five-point lead at 17-12. Schwan hunted down a rejection on the left side for 20-15, and then she hit high hands in transition on the next rally for a kill and a 21-15 advantage. The Huskies reached set point on a block assist from Sanders and Tanner. Schwan smacked down a Pitt overpass to close out the first set, 25-17, as the Huskies hit an even .400 in the frame compared to .156 for the Panthers. Five big blocks helped the cause, three from Sanders, who also had four kills on five swings without a miss.

Schwan started set two with a rocket from the left on the first point. Hazelwood blistered a Tanner slide set for 2-1. Pitt used some impressive defense to string together a 4-0 run and force UW into its first timeout down 3-7. Sanders and DeHoog got UW out of the run with a rejection on the next point, and they moved to the right pin and stuffed another together on the next point. Julye hit down through the block for a kill and then smartly wiped a tight set off the block and out on the next rally to get the Huskies right back even at 7-7 to cap UW's own 4-0 run. A brisk set from Tanner was hammered down by Schwan to tie it again at 11-11, but Pitt retook control with a 4-0 run until Schwan hit again to make it 12-15. A tip kill from Julye and a block from Schwan had it at 14-17 Panthers. UW gave two back, however, on a net violation and indecision on a pass that resulted in an ace, and the Huskies took timeout at 14-19. Another block from Sanders and a kill from DeHoog was followed by a DeHoog and Hazelwood block assist for 18-22 and Pitt took its first timeout. Pitt hit wide and then DeHoog had another huge stuff block to cut the gap to two on Jade Finau's serving run. Another error from the Panthers was followed by yet DeHoog's fourth block in eight points to once again even it up at 22-22 and force the final Panthers timeout. Out of the break, Pitt went away from DeHoog and got a swing down inside the blockers to snap the 6-0 Husky run and make it 22-23. Pitt won a long rally with a tip to get to set point at 22-24, but Julye saved one with a kill. On the next point, Schwan had a great up and Scambray set Julye for another kill to tie it up. Washington finally inched ahead, 25-24, on a roll shot from Schwan out of the back row into the middle of the court. On UW's first set point chance, each team dug in for a long rally but eventually the Panthers hit one just long, and the Huskies had completed the comeback, 26-24, winning 11 of the final 14 points.

UW hit .357 in the set and held Pitt to .089 with seven more blocks, six from DeHoog, while Julye had five kills on eight swings without an error.

The Husky block collected another victim for 2-0 in the third set, Schwan and Sanders teaming up, and Sanders slammed a quick set for a 4-1 lead. A kill from DeHoog in transition made it 6-2 and Pitt called an early timeout. Pitt put a little too much on its next two attacks and sent them out as the lead hit 8-2 and the Panthers quickly used their last break. The Panthers broke the run with a couple points but Hazelwood sent back another Pitt swing for 9-4. A tough float serve from Julye was overpassed and Hazelwood eventually finished up the line for 11-6. The rally of the match was extended by a great dig by Scambray and ended with a stuff block from Tanner and Hazelwood, and then Scambray drilled two straight aces as UW doubled up the Panthers, 14-7. DeHoog and Sanders added kills and then combined for a block for 19-13 Dawgs. Hazelwood powered one off the block in the middle and down, and then smashed a slide two points later for 22-16. Washington would run off with the final three points, as Schwan put down her 11th kill and match point brought the 17th block of the night, Tanner and Hazelwood finishing it off, for the 25-16 win. The Huskies hit .235 in the final set and held Pitt to .111, with three kills apiece from Sanders, Hazelwood, and DeHoog.

Washington will be back in action tomorrow with a double-header, first taking on St. Mary's at 12 noon and then facing No. 9 Creighton at 7 p.m. live on the Pac-12 Networks.