Huskies Rally But Drop Four-Setter To No. 11 Illinois

Saturday, September 1

Seattle, WA

8:00 PM

University of Washington

3-1

Illinois

5-0

Illinois

Washington

Photo by: Red Box Pictures

September 01, 2018 | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score PDF VIDEO: Pac-12 Network Recap

By: UW Athletic Communications

SEATTLE – Facing a talented and experienced opponent that ended their season a year ago, the 13th-ranked Husky volleyball team was outmuscled through two sets by 11th-ranked Illinois, but then began to find its rhythm and push back, grabbing the third set and going point for point in the fourth. But the Huskies (3-1) couldn't take it to a fifth, suffering their first loss of the season, 25-18, 25-20, 22-25, 25-22 at Alaska Airlines Arena.

It was a rematch from the NCAA second round heartbreaker the Huskies suffered to end last season, but while the Huskies returned just two starters from that match, Illinois brought back six. The experience of the Fighting Illini (5-0) showed through two sets but UW's new talent began to catch up and Head Coach Keegan Cook liked the promise that he saw in the second half of the match.

"I thought Illinois was pretty consistently excellent, offensively especially. Jordyn Poulter, the player we know, is pretty special around the net. And then in serve and serve-receive they've improved a little in that regard," said Cook. "So most of those first two sets was them being excellent, and us having to see what that level of volleyball looked like. Then as we settled in, I'm really really pleased with the third and fourth sets, taking the third set late and hanging in there for much of the fourth set. I thought we had enough things figured out to send it to five, but it's just these little plays that you have to make late."

After a slow start, the Huskies got their hitting percentage up to .241 for the match, but Illinois hit a strong .356 overall and hurt the Dawgs with 15.0 blocks to just 5.0 for UW. Washington had one more ace, 6-5, and led in digs, 52-45.

Junior Kara Bajema had her second 20-plus digs match in four matches so far this season, and the fifth of her career, as she led all players with 21, hitting .279 and adding nine digs. Lauren Sanders hit for 11 kills on a .429 attack percentage with four blocks, and Avie Niece hit .500 with six kills. Freshman Ella May Powell had another strong night with 47 assists, two aces, and 11 digs for her third double-double.

A big spark was provided by sophomore Maria Bogomolova, who subbed in for her first career action and her serving sparked several runs for the Dawgs. Her one service ace in the box score doesn't indicate the impact she made tonight.

"I've been seeing Maria serve for months and months, and every day it looks like (it did tonight)," said Cook. "I was curious to see what it looks like in a game. We were having a hard time scoring in that rotation, so we gave her a chance, and she made the most of it. It was a really nice piece of that match for her."

UP NEXT: The Huskies will hit the road for the first time this year, traveling to Pittsburgh where they will face Dayton, Pitt, and Kennesaw State in the Panther Invitational. Dayton will come first on Friday, Sept. 7 at 10 a.m. Pacific time.

SET 1: Destiny Julye put one up the right sideline for UW's first point after two Illinois points. Drechsel used the block for a kill on her first swing as the teams were tied 3-3. Sophomore Maria Bogomolova subbed in for her first ever action and the Huskies got a point on her serve for a 5-4 lead. Illinois scored three straight but Bajema stopped that run with her first kill for 7-8. Sanders and Powell teamed up for the first Husky block to make it 11-12. Illinois held a 15-12 lead at the media timeout, hitting .435 at that point compared to .312 for UW. Illinois scored twice more out of the break and the Huskies had to take a timeout of their own. Avie Niece broke the 4-0 Illinois run with a tip over the block. A tough Powell float serve was free balled over and Bajema dispensed with it for 15-18 and Illinois took timeout. The Fighting Illini answered with three right back out of the timeout for 15-21 and the Huskies used their last timeout. Bajema finished in serve-receive from the right out of the break to stop that run, but the Huskies got blocked on transition swings the next two points. Illinois won an epic rally to get to set point at 16-24. The Huskies saved a couple but Illinois ended it at 25-18. Illinois wound up hitting .316 to just .083 for the Huskies as Illinois had six blocks in the first set.

SET 2: Drechsel had a huge kill on the right and Powell flipped one over and down for a kill for 3-4 Illinois early in the set. Serving pressure from the Illini helped them open up a four-point lead at 5-9 and the Huskies called time. Washington couldn't gain any momentum and needed timeout again at 7-13. Sanders finished a slide and Bajema had a kill off the block but UW could not keep Illinois from siding out. Just when the Huskies needed a spark, Bogomolova got on a serving run and Bajema caught fire at the left pin. From nine points down, the Huskies scored seven out of eight to close within three, with Bajema putting five kills down during that stretch. An ace from Bajema got the Dawgs within two points at 18-20, but Illinois responded with three straight to get to set point at 19-24. Shannon Crenshaw had a great swing inside the court for her first kill to save one, but Illinois closed it out with a kill for 20-25. Bajema hit .500 with six kills in the set but Illinois hit .444 as a team compared to .206 for the Dawgs.

SET 3: Lauren Sanders had a couple early kills in the third, one on a quick and one on a slide from Powell. Powell dumped for a kill and after an Illinois error, Bajema put one down off the block and Bogomolova served up her first career ace to tie things up at 6-6. Powell dialed up an ace to tie things again at 8-8. The Husky serving pressure continued as McPherson served up consecutive aces and then Illinois hit wide for a fourth-straight Husky point and Illinois called for time. Out of the break, the Huskies got their first block since the first set as Sanders and Drechsel sent one back for a 14-10 lead. Illinois broke the run and got back to within a point, but Sanders connected twice to keep the Huskies in front at 16-14. Bajema slammed one off the block and out for 19-17 and then Illinois hit one wide for 20-17. Drechsel put one through the block on the right in serve-receive for 22-19. The Dawgs took their first timeout leading 22-20. Out of the break, Cailin Onosko delivered a perfect pass and Powell hit Sanders for 23-20. But Illinois got the next two points and Coach Cook used his second timeout with the one-point lead. The timeout produced an Illinois service error for set point at 24-22, and on the first chance Crenshaw had a dig and then Bajema hit off the block and out on UW's side for the win, 25-22. Illinois was still hot in the set at .433 but UW was hotter, hitting .480, led by Sanders who killed six of seven swings with Bajema adding five kills.

SET 4: Powell had a one-hand save tight to the net and Crenshaw hammered it down for the first point of the fourth. Illinois had a three-point run to take a 3-6 lead, but then UW answered with three right back, all finished by Bajema, two on offspeed and one hard off the block to tie it at 6-6. Bajema added two more kills during her expanding total to keep it tied up at 9-9. A three-point run by the Fighting Illini forced a Husky timeout at 11-14. After Crenshaw got a kill to end that run, the Huskies trailed by four but then had another big push in them on Bogomolova's serve. The Huskies had a 5-0 run as Sanders and Powell teamed for a block and then Bajema got one down inside the Illinois block. Bajema then ended a wild rally with a solo stuff for 16-all, and on the next point, Powell dumped in transition for a Husky lead at 17-16 and Illinois called timeout. Illinois tied it out of the break and went up one, but Niece tied it back up on a big slide kill for 18-all. Drechsel tied it again a point later but two in a row for Ilinois forced a Husky timeout at 19-21. Powell found Drechsel who convered from off the net on the right to get back within one. Washington missed a serve and then Sanders was blocked for just her second error and it was match point at 21-24. Crenshaw banged off the block and into the seats to save the first, but she then sent a serve long on the next point to end it, 22-25. Hitting was close in the fourth with Illinois at .275 and the Huskies at .263 but three service errors hurt the Huskies. Bajema added six more kills to her total in the final set.