Right Side Is All Right For Dawgs Versus No. 13 USC

Thursday, November 8

Los Angeles, CA

8:00 PM

University of Washington

16-9, 8-7Pac-12

USC

18-8, 10-5Pac-12

Washington

USC

Samantha Drechsel 2018 celebrates a point

Photo by: Red Box Pictures

November 08, 2018 | Volleyball

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

By: UW Athletic Communications

LOS ANGELES – A triple threat from the right side of the net carried 25th-ranked Washington to a tight four-set victory over No. 13 USC tonight at the Galen Center. Sophomore Samantha Drechsel, sophomore Lauren Sanders, and junior Avie Niece pounded away on back sets from freshman Ella May Powell as the three combined for 44 kills on a .526 attack percentage, leading the Huskies (16-9, 8-7 Pac-12) to the 27-25, 23-25, 25-21, 27-25 road win. It is the third win in a row for the Dawgs.

Drechsel had one of the best matches of her young career with 19 kills and just one error on 33 swings for a .545 attack percentage. Sanders and Niece both repeatedly ran slide attacks to great success, as Sanders had a season-high 16 kills, just one off her career-high, and hit .583. Niece hit .421 with nine kills and led the defense with seven blocks.

Powell set a new career-high with 54 assists, adding nine digs and ran the Husky offense to the tune of a .325 overall attack percentage. Junior Kara Bajema got rolling in the second half of the match and wound up with a quiet 18 kills on a .279 attack percentage.

"It was a major point of emphasis in practice the last few weeks, and a major reason behind our lineup change," said Head Coach Keegan Cook on the attack from the right pin. "Everyone on that side did a nice job. The slide hitters did well, and Sam certainly did an outstanding job out there. Couldn't have asked for more from them. I thought our outsides could have managed the game better, but Kara came on late and did a great job. Overall, a pretty good offensive night considering some other areas of the game that weren't so crisp."

The Trojans were without two of their star attackers, but still made the Huskies earn everything they got.

"It's a unique challenge," Cook said. "You're playing players you don't know, usually in a lineup you haven't scouted. They played extremely clean. They have a culture of playing clean right now and they make you earn everything. We had to kill twenty balls in one set and eighteen in two others, so they weren't giving us many free points."

UP NEXT: Washington will look to make it four in a row with another top-25 challenge as it heads to Westwood to take on No. 21 UCLA on Saturday at 7 p.m. in another Pac-12 Networks televised match.

SET 1: A perfect pass from McPherson led to an Avie Niece kill to start the match. Hoffman hit off the block and out on UW's side for 3-2. Bajema got a swing down inside the block for 6-3 Dawgs. USC used a couple Husky errors to tie it up at 8-8, but Drechsel and Niece stuffed the next one to keep the lead. McPherson laid out for a dig and Hoffman went up the line for 11-9. The Dawgs led 13-10 but then USC scored four straight to take its first lead and UW called time at 13-14. Bajema was aced out of the break but UW snapped the 5-0 run with a Sanders slide kill on the next point. Niece hammered a slide and then saved a play with a dig right below the net and Drechsel finished for 16-17. The teams kept trading sideouts until USC had a block for a three-point cushion at 18-21 and the Huskies used their last timeout. Sanders had a kill to the back line out of the timeout and then Hoffman's dig led to a Bajema kill for 20-21 and USC used its first timeout. A Hoffman serve earned UW a free ball and Sanders finished for the tie, and then Bajema dumped one over the block for a fourth-straight and the 22-21 lead. The Trojans snapped the run with a kill to tie it. Bajema got it back with a blast off the block for 23-22. USC tied it and then blocked one to get to set point first at 23-24. Bajema saved that with a kill from the left, then UW went back up with a block from Niece and Bajema for 25-24 and USC used its last timeout. The Huskies double-contacted trying to send over a free ball, but Drechsel earned a second chance with a rip straight down from the left. USC sailed its next attempt long and the Huskies had pulled it out, 27-25. The Huskies wound up at .316 for the set with USC at .206. Sanders hit .571 with five kills and Drechsel finished three of her four swings without a miss while Ella May Powell passed 16 assists.

SET 2: The Trojans got the first three points in the second before sending one long and then Hoffman turned a Trojan swing away. The Huskies let a USC overpass fall in the middle for a kill as the Trojans went up three at 3-6. Powell got the Dawgs back within one with an ace straight to the court, then Drechsel finished an overpass to tie it at 9-9. A second from Drechsel on the right put UW up, 10-9. Sanders roofed one down with authority for 13-12 Dawgs. USC however went on a 3-0 run to take the lead, 13-15, going into the media timeout. USC served long out of the break but came back with a kill and a block and an ace all in a row for 14-18 and the Huskies called timeout. Powell to Sanders ended that run out of the break but USC answered in serve-receive. Drechsel had a right side kill in transition for 17-19, and she then blocked one to get within one at 19-20. A USC net contact made it 20-20 and the Trojans called timeout. But the Dawgs missed their next serve and then a USC dig to a kill made it 20-22 and the Huskies used their last timeout. Drechsel ripped one from the right side for a big point and 21-22. Sanders and Hoffman rejected the Trojans to tie it up at 23-23. The Huskies had a good look at the next point but didn't put it down, and USC came back with a kill for set point at 23-24. Powell saw the opening for a dump and put it down, but USC challenged that she hit the net, and after review the call was overturned and USC had evened it up at a set apiece. USC outhit the Huskies, .275 to .205, in the set despite Drechsel putting down five kills on seven swings without an errors.

SET 3: Sanders and Niece started the third set with consecutive kills. Drechsel continued to finish for the Dawgs as they held a one-point lead at 6-5. Bajema dove to save a near-block and then Drechsel and Niece roofed one to end that rally for 8-6 Dawgs. Sanders put two more down for 11-9 Dawgs. Drechsel continued her hot swinging from the right and a rejection from Bajema and Niece put the Dawgs up, 15-11, at the media timeout. A rare change-up from Drechsel was just as effective for 18-15. The Trojans got within one but Sanders came through on another slide for 19-17. Bajema put one down from the left and then on a broken play she poked one through the block and it fell for 21-18, forcing a Trojans timeout. The Dawgs had a good look on the next point but USC scored in transition, and then the Huskies shanked a pass and USC put away the free ball for 21-20 and UW needed time. Niece hung for a big swing and kill on the Powell slide, and then Niece and Drechsel combined for a roof for 23-20. Drechsel snuck another inside the block for set point at 24-21, and on the first chance, Powell dug up a USC tip and McPherson bumped to Drechsel for another kill and the win, 25-21. The Dawgs rolled up a .459 attack percentage in the third set with Drechsel hitting .556 with six kills and Bajema hitting .417 with six kills, while Sanders finished five of swings swings to hit .833.

SET 4: Maria Bogomolova opened the fourth set with UW's second ace of the match. A Bajema kill and a couple USC errors made it 4-1 and the Trojans took an early timeout. USC scored twice out of the break but Niece tipped over and down for 5-3. Three more for the Trojans put them up one, but Niece finished again for 6-6. McPherson aced the Trojans to cap a 4-0 Husky run for 9-6. Sanders continued clicking with Powell as her 13th and 14th kills kept the Huskies up three at 12-9. Up 13-10, the Huskies made some miscues and a 5-1 Trojan run gave them the lead at 14-15. Another UW error made it 15-17, but Drechsel finished off the block to get back within one. But the Dawgs hit the next one long and then got aced for 16-19 and UW took timeout. Sanders got UW going with a slide kill, and then Bajema went off the block for 18-19. Sanders then tipped over the block for a third-straight and tied it at 19-19, USC taking timeout. Hoffman served and then got a dig that led to a Bajema rip for another point, and then Hoffman aced the Trojans for 21-19. Hoffman missed serve but USC did the same. Bajema then got another from the left pin from Powell off the touch for 23-20. Once again it was Bajema tooling the block for match point at 24-21. USC saved the first with a kill off the block and then a shanked pass led Powell to get called for a back row attack as she tried to save it, forcing the Huskies to take time at 24-23. The Trojans tied it up after a long rally for 24-all, but then missed long on the next point and the Huskies had a fourth chance. USC killed it in serve-receive for 25-all, but Drechsel responded again from the right for 26-25. On their fifth chance, McPherson came up to dig a tip attempt, and Powell went to Drechsel again and she provided the final kill to end it, 27-25. Bajema came on strong in the final set with six kills on 12 swings without a miss and Drechsel also was error-free with five kills on 13 swings as the Huskies hit .326 compared to .300 for the Trojans.