Dawgs Drop Tough One To Trojans, 3-1

Wednesday, October 17

Seattle, WA

7:00 PM

University of Washington

13-6, 5-4Pac-12

USC

15-5, 7-2Pac-12

USC

Washington

Photo by: Red Box Pictures

October 17, 2018 | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score PDF

By: UW Athletic Communications

SEATTLE – It was a frustrating result for the 19th-ranked Husky volleyball team tonight as UW very well could have swept 14th-ranked USC with a couple more well-timed points, but instead the Trojans rallied and defeated the Huskies in four sets, 24-26, 25-22, 28-26, 25-18, in front of 2,006 fans at Alaska Airlines Arena.

The first three sets went back and forth all night long, with 18 lead changes over the first three sets and 31 tie scores. After pulling out set one, the Dawgs let an eight-point lead slip away in the second set, and then UW had a set point chance in the third set as well, but USC fought back to save it and then pulled away in the fourth.

Washington falls to 13-6 on the year and 5-4 in Pac-12 play while USC stayed in second in the league with a 7-2 record, 15-5 overall.

The Huskies hit just .150 while the Trojans finished at .265 and USC had a major edge at the net, posting 16.0 blocks compared to 6.5 for the Dawgs.

Junior Kara Bajema did her best with a season-high 23 kills and a .294 attack percentage. Freshman setter Ella May Powell also kept UW in it with 42 assists and a huge career-best in digs with 22. Sophomore Samantha Drechsel had 17 kills and Lauren Sanders had eight, but Head Coach Keegan Cook said the Huskies were too reliant on their left side hitters.

"You're four points away from a totally different feeling and outcome, but I didn't think we played to any sort of standard that we're capable of, particularly on the offensive side of the ball," said Cook. "Our offense is out of whack, we're too left side heavy, and against all the best Pac-12 teams it's just not going to work. So nice job by our two lefts to hang in there and fight, and we need more from other people."

UP NEXT: Washington will finish the first half of Pac-12 play at home Friday night against 20th-ranked UCLA. Courtney Thompson will be honored at the match as she goes into the Hall of Fame this weekend. She will be signing autographs 45 minutes before the match and be recognized at intermission. First serve for the Huskies and Bruins is at 6 p.m.

SET 1: After a USC service error opened the match, the next point went long, with Drechsel finally putting it away for the first kill. The teams were even through the first ten points, with Avie Niece hammering a quick set for 6-6 and then Kara Bajema's first kill making it 7-7. A 3-0 Trojans run forced the Huskies to take the first timeout at 7-10. A nice dig from Bajema led to a Drechsel kill off the block for 10-12. After a few points back and forth, the Trojans scored twice to extend to 12-16 and the Dawgs called their second timeout. Out of the break, Niece put away the Powell quick set for 13-16, and then Bajema stepped inside the court for a transition kill to get back within two. Another Bajema blast forced USC into a timeout as the Dawgs were back within one at 15-16. Out of the break, Bajema put down a third-straight kill to tie it up. After two straight for the Trojans, the Dawgs got even again on a Destiny Julye ace. Julye's next serve put USC in trouble again and they hit into the net as the Dawgs went up, 19-18, and USC used its last timeout. The Trojans got a kill to end the 3-0 Husky run out of the break and then they went back up one on a block. Bajema leveled it again from the left and a Trojan error made it 21-20 Dawgs. But a couple Husky errors gave momentum back and a 21-23 USC lead. Drechsel got the sideout, then USC hit long for 23-all. The Huskies had a swing at the next point but USC dug it and converted for set point at 23-24. Drechsel saved it sharply crosscourt in serve-receive. A USC error gave the Dawgs set point at 25-24. Bajema dug a fierce Trojan swing on the next point and Drechsel hammered off the defense and it couldn't be tracked down as the Dawgs had seized the set, 26-24. Washington hit .156 while USC was at .152 but the Huskies had a big edge in digs, 24 to 17, with seven from Bajema. Bajema also had six kills and hit .455 while Drechsel had seven kills.

SET 2: After not recording a block in the first set, the Dawgs got the block rolling big to start the second. Niece and Powell got the first on the right pin and then a triple block of Niece, Powell, and Drechsel made it 3-0 Dawgs and USC took a quick timeout. The Trojans got on the board out of the break, but then the Dawgs scored three in a row again, with two Drechsel spikes and a third block, this time by Niece and Julye, and USC used its second timeout. Drechsel won a joust for 7-1 Dawgs. McPherson bump set Bajema for two-straight blasts as the Dawgs broke out to an 11-3 lead. But just when UW was rolling, they hit out of bounds on three straight points to give up half the lead, and UW needed timeout at 11-7. One of the wildest plays of the year went to USC to keep the run going out of the break and they made it 11-9 before Sanders had a kill to end the 6-0 Trojan run. An ace from USC helped them tie it up for the first time at 14-14. Drechsel regained the lead with a kill but a UW error gave the Trojans their first lead at 15-16. Washington responded with a 4-0 run, all ending on kills by Bajema who kept pounding away at the left pin until it went her way, the final one after a marathon rally for 20-17 that brought the crowd to its feet. But again just when UW seemed in control, it went away, as USC scored five in a row to quiet the crowd and take a two-point lead at 20-22. Bajema finally broke that run and then USC hit long for 22-all. The Trojans got a sideout and then aced the Dawgs for the third time in the set two get set point at 22-24. Bajema found the net on her next swing to end it, as USC closed on an 8-2 run to take the set, 22-25. The Huskies hit just .167 while USC finished the set at .238. Bajema had seven kills in the frame.

SET 3: Like the second set, UW had an early stuff from Drechsel and Niece and then an ace from Lauren Sanders for a quick 3-0 lead. Powell floated an ace to make it 5-2 Dawgs. USC tied it with three in a row before a missed serve. Bajema and Sanders tied it at 9-all with a rejection on the left then Julye put UW back up with an ace. The lead changed back to USC on a Trojan ace off the tape. Sanders put away a slide kill for 11-12 Trojans. It was 13-15 Trojans at the media timeout. A kill in transition for Bajema pulled the Dawgs within one again at 15-16. Sanders hit down a USC overpass off a tough McPherson serve for 17-18, and the Dawgs got back even at 19-all on another overpass kill, this one for Bajema off a Julye serve. Another Bajema finish after Julye got USC in trouble made it 20-19 Dawgs and USC took timeout. USC scored out of the timeout and then blocked Bajema for 20-21 and UW called its own timeout. Bajema used the block smartly on an out of system set from Powell to tie it, 21-21. Sanders tied it again at 22 on a slide. Emma Calle had a float serve overpassed and Powell hit Drechsel for a kill to put the Dawgs back up, 23-22, and USC used its last timeout. USC killed its first swing out of the timeout and then aced the Huskies short for 23-24 and set point, with UW taking time to regroup. Marin Grote checked in and Powell hit her for the crucial kill, and then Niece checked back in and roofed the Trojans for set point Dawgs, 25-24. USC saved it and then it blocked the Dawgs to earn a second set point. Drechsel finished from the right for 26-all. Bajema had a swing but USC stuffed it for 26-27. The Trojans hit off the block and down out of bounds to finish the thriller, 26-28. USC hit .424 in the third compared to just .216 for the Dawgs. Bajema had six more kills in the set and Sanders killed three of three attempts.

SET 4: In the fourth set it was the Trojans starting fast, blocking the Dawgs a couple times for a 2-6 lead. Sanders had a couple kills to keep the Huskies in contact, down 4-7. The Dawgs got within two at 8-10 but USC scored three of the next four and UW took timeout at 9-13. Drechsel finished out of the timeout and USC then hit the net for 11-13. Bajema put one away to get within one at 13-14, but USC got two back for 13-16. The teams kept trading sideouts but the Huskies couldn't mount a run, trailing 17-21 when Drechsel tooled the block for a point. But that would be the final point of the match for the Huskies as USC closed out on a 4-0 run to end it, 25-18. Washington hit just .056 in the fourth set while USC hit .294.