Searching Dawgs Fall To Buffs In Four

Sunday, October 28

Boulder, CO

11:00 AM

University of Washington

13-9, 5-7Pac-12

Colorado

13-10, 5-7Pac-12

Washington

Colorado

Photo by: Red Box Pictures

October 28, 2018 | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score PDF Watch: Highlights vs. Colorado

By: UW Athletic Communications

BOULDER, Colo. – The Husky volleyball team dropped its fifth straight match today, falling in four sets to Colorado, 12-25, 21-25, 25-21, 22-25, in front of 1,156 fans at the CU Events Center. Washington had a balanced attack with four players with double-figure kills but hit into the Buffaloes block far too often to get the road win. Colorado (13-10, 5-7 Pac-12) had 16 blocks as a team which helped limit the Huskies to a .127 attack percentage.

The Huskies dropped to 13-9 and 5-7 in Pac-12 play. Colorado hit .243 and had 19 kills from senior Alexa Smith who hit .356. Sophomore Lauren Sanders had 10 kills, hitting .350, and was part of all seven of Washington's blocks. Junior Kara Bajema had 12 kills and 11 digs for a double-double. Freshman setter Ella May Powell had 42 assists, nine digs and four blocks.

Junior libero Shayne McPherson had 11 digs and her first one put her over 1,000 digs for her career, the 13th Husky to reach that mark.

Freshman Claire Hoffman had 11 kills and sophomore Samantha Drechsel added 10, but both also made nine attack errors apiece.

"That is the predominant takeaway from that match was just how often our attacks found the block," said Head Coach Keegan Cook. "At this point in the season, most teams know your tendencies and it comes down to you being able to hit a second or third shot for a kill, and we weren't able to do that most of the time."

"Lauren Sanders figured some things out, especially in the third. Shayne McPherson I thought had a great second half to the match, kept a lot of rallies alive, but overall I was impressed with Colorado's physicality. They're a good senior-laden team."

UP NEXT: Washington will look to get back in the win column at home next week taking on Arizona State on Friday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. before hosting Arizona on Sunday, Nov. 4, at 12 noon.

SET 1: The Huskies earned a 5-3 lead to open things up, forcing a couple Colorado errors. Bajema put away two in a row from Powell on the left pin for an 8-6 Husky lead. But Colorado then put together a 5-0 run to take the lead, 8-11, and force a Husky timeout. Niece crushed a quick set in serve-receive out of the break. Claire Hoffman rolled one up the sideline for a kill and 10-11, but the Huskies then gave up another five in a row, three on Husky errors. Hoffman got a couple back with a tip and another offspeed swing, but a chance at a third was blocked by Colorado for 12-17. Washington could not get another sideout the rest of the way, giving up the final eight points to fall, 12-25. The Huskies had more errors, 10, than kills, nine, and that was all there was to the set.

SET 2: Bajema opened the second set with a kill for the first point. Three straight Colorado errors made it a 4-2 lead. Sanders had a pair of stuffs and Drechsel pounded a kill from the right for 9-6 Dawgs. A 3-0 Colorado run tied it, with Destiny Julye getting her first kill for 10-9. Emma Calle tossed in the first ace for UW for 12-10. Another run for the Buffs, four in a row, gave them the lead, 13-15, at the media timeout. Drechsel ended a long rally with a crucial kill out of the break to stop the run, then Hoffman had a transition kill to tie it at 15-15. But UW got blocked, then aced, then blocked again on a tip attempt to go back down 15-18 and need a timeout. Down four, Hoffman had a kill off high hands then Sanders and Powell teamed for a block for 18-20. Sanders then had a solo stuff of a quick attempt to get it back to one. A block for the Buffs made it 20-23 and UW used its last timeout. Colorado won a lengthy rally to get to set point at 20-24 and after missing a serve, they killed their next in serve-receive for the win, 21-25. Colorado outhit the Huskies, .211 to .150 in the set, despite four blocks from Sanders.

SET 3: The teams traded sideouts on the first several points of the third set. Sanders had a kill in the middle and Bajema picked up a couple kills as the Huskies were trailing by one, 7-8. Colorado inched ahead by three points at 10-7 but Niece put one down to the corner to stop the bleeding. A solo block by Sanders made it 10-11 and then Sanders had three kills in a row to put the Huskies up one, 13-12. Sanders stayed on fire with two more transition kills on the slide for a 15-13 Husky lead. Bajema then converted up the line in transition for 16-13 and Colorado took time. Hoffman then floated an ace to the back line for 17-13. A quick kill from Niece made it 20-16 Dawgs and Drechsel hit off the block for 21-17. A Husky miscue cut it to 21-19 and UW called time. Colorado missed wide for 22-20 and then hit into the net for another UW point. Powell and Sanders then shut down the right side with a roof for 24-20. After one Colorado point, the Buffs served long and the Dawgs were in the win column, 25-21. Sanders was the story of the third, as she had six kills on nine swings to hit .556, adding two blocks, and UW as a team hit .367 in the third.

SET 4: Bajema served up an ace for 2-1 to start off the fourth. Drechsel pounded one from the right for 4-2. Four straight from Colorado put them in the lead, 5-6, but Powell tipped one over and down for 7-6 Dawgs. Hoffman put one away after a Bajema dig for 8-6 and Colorado called timeout. A 3-0 run for Colorado put them back in front, but Niece tied it at 11 with a slide kill. The lead jumped back and forth but two straight Colorado blocks made it 14-16 Buffs. Sanders and Powell had a much-needed stuff to make it 16-17. Cailin Onosko came in to serve and put the Buffs in trouble two points in a row as Bajema finished one for a 19-18 lead and Colorado called timeout. But Onosko missed serve out of the timeout and then Bajema was blocked for 19-20. Another transition kill for Colorado made it 19-21 and UW needed time. Colorado won a marathon rally to get a three-point lead before Bajema converted in serve-receive for 20-22. CU missed long for 21-22, then Powell served an ace to tie it. Colorado tipped for a kill to retake the lead and UW took time. Washington had several swings on the next point but Drechsel was ultimately blocked, and on CU's first match point, Bajema was blocked to end it, 22-25. Washington struggled again on offense in the set, as Colorado blocked UW six times, holding the Huskies to .065.