Dawgs Claim Boise State Classic Title

Friday, September 14

Boise, ID

4:00 PM

University of Washington

8-2

Sacramento State

5-8

Sacramento State

Washington

September 14, 2018 | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score PDF VIDEO: Husky Highlights

By: UW Athletic Communications

BOISE, Idaho – Washington closed out its two-day stint in Boise with a third sweep, holding off a late challenge from Sacramento State to close out the Hornets, 25-13, 25-11, 28-26 at Bronco Gym. The Huskies went 3-0 to win the Boise State Classic team title, including a sweep earlier this morning against CSUN.

13th-ranked Washington finishes nonconference play with an 8-2 record and heads into conference play with a likely top-25 rivalry battle against Washington State next Thursday, Sept. 20, at Alaska Airlines Arena at 8 p.m.

Senior Destiny Julye closed out a strong week with nine kills on a .500 attack percentage today, also leading the team with 4 blocks. She shared the kills lead with freshman Shannon Crenshaw, who had nine kills, three aces, and eight digs. Freshman Ella May Powell had a double-double with 31 assists and 10 digs, while senior Shayne McPherson finished a productive weekend with 17 more digs. McPherson averaged 5.11 digs per set for the week. Junior middle Avie Niece also was on target with seven kills on 11 swings and just one error for a .545 attack percentage.

Julye was named tournament MVP as she hit .458 for the week averaging 2.67 kills per set and serving up six aces and posting 1.11 blocks per set. McPherson and Niece were also All-Tournament Team selections.

The Huskies limited the Hornets (5-8) to just .051 on offense while the Dawgs finished at .269 for the match. Washington served up 10 aces, three each from Crenshaw and Kara Bajema.

Head Coach Keegan Cook saw progress in some important areas this week as Pac-12 play arrives.

"Our servers were more aggressive and productive," he said. "Ella May Powell managed the three matches well and improved her location. We're still a work in progress. We took a step forward with our blocking. Our outside hitters need to continue to hit with more purpose night in and night out."

"The ability is there in our young group. The discipline and determination to see the right things and respond the right way repeatedly will ultimately decide what we look like in December. I'm looking forward to seeing how fast we can learn."

UP NEXT: Washington hosts 22nd-ranked Washington State in its Pac-12 opener next Thursday at 8 p.m. at Alaska Airliens Arena.

SET 1: Avie Niece hammered UW's first kill of the match to make it 2-2. An ace from McPherson made it 6-3 Dawgs. Shannon Crenshaw's first kill kept the Huskies up 7-5. Powell threw one down for 10-7. A stuff by Julye and Niece made it a four-point lead at 12-8. Bajema drove an ace for 14-9. Sacramento State called time after Niece put away a Powell set in the middle for 15-9. Out of the break, Crenshaw finished two in a row to extend the lead to 17-9. Bajema had two back row kills to keep the Dawgs moving and Sacramento State took its last timeout at 20-12. Sanders finished a Powell slide set and then Crenshaw put an ace to the back line and the Huskies closed out the first, 25-13. The Huskies hit .242 in the set while Sacramento State was in the negatives at -.097. Shayne McPherson had six digs in the set and Bajema killed three of seven swings without an error.

SET 2: Bajema opened set two with an ace on the first point. Niece finished a great rally with McPherson laying out for a dig to extend it, making it 4-0 before the Hornets got on the board. Crenshaw wiped off the block for a kill and Bajema had another kill on a pipe to extend to a 7-1 lead. Freshman Marin Grote subbed into the middle and had a kill on a slide for 9-3. Grote had a solo block and Bajema got one off the block and down to make it a ten-point lead at 13-3. Powell dumped for two straight kills and then Emma Calle served up an ace to make it 17-6 and force a Hornets timeout. Washington would reel off six of the final seven points to finish off the set, 25-11, as Bajema had an ace, Julye and Niece teamed for a block, Julye hit crosscourt from the right to get to set point, and Crenshaw slammed hard off the block and out to finish it. The Huskies hit .367 in the set compared to -.036 for the Hornets. Julye had five kills on nine swings in the set with Powell putting up 11 assists and McPherson getting six digs.

SET 3: The teams traded points early in the third set, with Maria Bogomolova getting some time in the front row and Natalie Robinson coming in to set the offense in a 6-2 with Powell. Crenshaw had an ace to give the Huskies a 7-4 lead. The Dawgs then had a 4-0 run to open up a 11-6 lead starting with a triple block by Bajema, Grote, and Bogomolova, then a Bajema smash straight to the floor to end a long rally, and a subsequent Hornets error. McPherson then aced the Hornets to force a timeout. The Huskies hit a rough patch, committing some errors and letting the Hornets rally back and take a one-point lead at 16-17. Drechsel, who subbed in for the first time mid-set, put down a kill to tie it back up. Drechsel had an ace make it 20-21, but Sacramento State came back with a kill and an ace of its own. The Hornets earned three set points at 21-24, but Julye saved the first and Crenshaw put one down to save the second and force a Hornets timeout at 23-24. Out of the break, the Huskies got even on another Crenshaw kill, but Sacramento State went back up with a block on the next point. Grote tied it back up with a kill and then Drechsel got a transition kill down to get the Dawgs a match point at 26-25. Sacramento State saved it, but Drechsel responded and on the second match point, Niece hit from the middle to the sideline to wrap it up, 28-26.