No. 20 Huskies Grind Out Big Win Over Bears

Friday, November 16

Seattle, WA

7:00 PM

University of Washington

18-9, 10-7Pac-12

California

14-14, 6-11Pac-12

California

Washington

Photo by: Red Box Pictures

November 16, 2018 | Volleyball

Box Score VIDEO: Top Husky Highlights VIDEO: Bajema Postmatch Interview VIDEO: Pac-12 Network Recap Box Score PDF

By: UW Athletic Communications

SEATTLE – Washington picked up its fifth-straight Pac-12 win tonight in front of 2,242 fans at Alaska Airlines Arena, fending off a game Cal Bears squad in four sets, 26-24, 25-17, 23-25, 25-21. The 20th-ranked Huskies (18-9, 10-7 Pac-12) had four players with double-figure kills led by the 18 from freshman Claire Hoffman who added 12 digs for her first career double-double.

The Huskies rarely were able to pull away from a very steady Bears team aside from a big run to win the second set going away. After Cal (14-14, 6-11 Pac-12) extended the match with a tight third set win, the Huskies had to deliver big kill after big kill late in the fourth set to finish it off. Washington was able to do that, hitting .457 in the final set, and winding up at .271 overall for the match compared to a .200 mark for the Bears.

"It was good volleyball," said Head Coach Keegan Cook. "I was hoping they would come and play, they've had some good results against UCLA and Utah, and played some other teams tough, and they didn't disappoint. They were just very good the entire time."

Hoffman had one of her most productive matches since jumping into the starting lineup eight matches ago. Her 18 kills came on a .245 attack percentage as she took a career-high 53 swings. Junior Avie Niece put down 10 kills on a .389 attack percentage, while Kara Bajema finished with 14 kills on a .293 mark, and Samantha Drechsel had 13 and hit .258. Freshman Ella May Powell dished out 50 assists tonight and added eight digs and four blocks.

"It was nice to see Claire swinging with a little more power and going for it late in November. I certainly want her to swing for some memories and I told her that in this match and she did a good job."

Junior libero Shayne McPherson impressed with 22 digs and six assists as Washington nearly kept pace with Cal in the digs department, finishing with 72 compared to 76 for Cal. The Huskies held a 12.0 to 9.0 edge in blocks, led by seven for Niece and five for Lauren Sanders.

Washington now hosts No. 2 Stanford, already the Pac-12 Champs and 17-0 in conference after winning at Washington State tonight. That showdown will be at 1 p.m. this Sunday on Pac-12 Networks Washington. That starts a streak of three matches against almost certainly NCAA tournament teams in Stanford, Oregon, and Washington State to close the regular season.

"The thing I'm most excited about for these next three matches is we're playing what I think are December teams," said Cook. "Teams that are going to be playing into the second weekend—Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four teams. You get three shots in a row to challenge yourself against that quality of opponent before you head into December. What a great opportunity for us to really find out what we can do."

SET 1: Drechsel got the first kill for the Huskies on the second point, and then Sanders and Powell put away the first block for 2-1. A block for Bajema and Niece tied things at 5-5 through the first 10 points. Drechsel put one down in serve-receive from the right for 8-9 Bears. Powell saved a near-ace as a serve caught the tape but Powell spun and dug it, and McPherson set Hoffman for a kill for 9-11. The Dawgs looked poised to tie it but misplayed a dig and then hit a Cal overpass wide to go down three at 11-14 and UW took timeout. Another Husky error made it 11-16 before Bajema put one down to break the 4-0 Bears run. Drechsel and Niece got a big block on the right and then Powell dropped in UW's first ace for 14-16. An ace for the Bears made it 16-20 and the Huskies used their final timeout. Drechsel blasted one down and then Cal had a setting error for 18-20 and Cal's first timeout came next. A Bear error made it 19-20 before Cal sided out. But Hoffman answered back off the left for 20-21. Hoffman then tied it from the left after a dig from Destiny Julye. UW had a swing for the lead but it fell just out, and Cal scored in transition for 21-23. The Bears netted, and then the next rally ended with a Cal error that the Bears challenged was in but after a long review the play stood for 23-23. Cal got a kill to reach set point at 23-24, but Bajema crushed one to erase it. The Huskies then rejected the next Bears swing on the right for their first set point at 25-24, and Cal called its final timeout. The sequence repeated, much to UW's delight, as Powell and Niece roofed another on the right pin to shut the door on the set, 26-24. The Huskies came back to steal the set thanks in large part to five blocks, as they cooled Cal down to .167 after the Bears were hitting .400 late in the set. Hoffman had five kills, hitting .400, to lead the Dawgs.

SET 2: Hoffman found the back corner with a looping swing for the first Husky point in the second set. The Bears had an early three-point run that was ended by Bajema finishing a Powell set for 3-4. Drechsel caught fire from the right side and ended a couple lengthy rallies to put the Dawgs up, 7-6. The Bears went back up two but consecutive kills from Niece and Hoffman tied it back up at 9-all, and then Niece and Sanders teamed for a block for 10-9. The teams continued trading the lead and tying it back up, with Bajema hammering off the block for 13-13. Niece had a standing swing to tool the block and then she had a solo block for 15-14 at the media timeout. Drechsel connected out of the break on a Powell back set for 16-14. One of the wildest rallies of the season was finally finished by a Sanders tip that Cal couldn't quite save, making it 19-16 and forcing a Bears timeout. Hoffman kept things going for the Dawgs with a kill and then Sanders and Hoffman sent down a resounding rejection for 21-16. Washington pulled away with a Sanders kill and then a Cal error made it set point at 24-17. Powell closed the angle on the right pin to stuff down the Bears' next swing to end it, 25-17. It was a 12-3 run overall by the Dawgs to finish the set after trailing 13-14. The Huskies hit .279 in the set and held Cal to .089. Five different Dawgs had three or four kills in the set, as Powell passed 14 assists.

SET 3: Niece tapped down an overpass as part of a 3-1 run to start the third set for the Dawgs. A tough Bajema serve got a free ball and Hoffman put it away from the left for 5-3. Cal scored five of the next six to take its first lead at 6-8. The Huskies fought back on Julye's serve, as she produced an overpass that Sanders stuffed down, and a crosscourt kill from Hoffman in transition capped a 4-0 run for 10-8. Sanders put a slide kill down for 11-9. Bajema ended a point of the match contender kept going by a diving dig from Julye for 12-10. Cal tied it back up again with a 3-0 run at 13-13 and then won another long rally to take the lead. Bajema tooled the block to snap the run for 14-14. Niece crushed one on a quick set for 15-all. A block for the Bears and a Cal ace forced a Husky timeout at 15-18. Hoffman put one away from the left to get UW going and added another two points later as the Huskies got within one at 18-19. Bajema connected from the left for 20-21, and then she went up with Niece and roofed the Bear attack to tie it at 21-21, prompting Cal's first timeout. The Bears rolled over the block for a point out of the break but Bajema tooled it back for 22-22. Cal kept siding out in serve-receive and got to set point at 23-24. Powell set Niece on a quick but she hit it long and the Bears stayed alive with the 23-25 win. Cal outhit the Huskies .234 to .188 in the frame despite Bajema posting five kills on a .417 percentage.

SET 4: Washington jumped back into the driver's seat with the first five points of the fourth set. Hoffman smartly spun one to the sideline for a kill, then Niece and Hoffman teamed for a block. Drechsel crushed one straight to the floor and Bajema fired an ace for 5-0 and a Cal timeout. The Bears regrouped quickly, getting a kill then an ace and a Husky error to make it 5-3. The Bears kept pushing and erased the lead at 8-8. Bajema got the lead back tooling the block. Julye struck from the back row for 10-9. McPherson had three digs on a great rally that Drechsel put away for a 12-11 Husky lead. The teams continued trading blows back and forth, with big swings for Drechsel and Hoffman giving one-point Husky leads. A tough Bogomolova serve was overpassed and Niece crushed it down for 18-16. Bajema hit to the deep corner for a kill and then Cal hit one wide as the Huskies pushed to 20-17. Niece put down a well-timed quick from Powell for 22-19, then Drechsel went high off the block from the right for 23-20. On the next point, Sanders read the quick coming and got up to stuff it for 24-20, forcing Cal's last timeout. The Bears quickly saved the first with a kill out of the middle, but on the next point, Powell went to Hoffman and she found the side of the block to hit it off and misdirect the Cal back row, as it fell to end it, 25-21. Hoffman had five kills and hit .364 in the final set and Drechsel had six kills on a .364 mark while Niece killed all four of her swings in the set. The Huskies had to get 19 kills to win the fourth, and hit a blistering .457.