Huskies Hold Off Bruins In Four Sets

Sunday, October 6

Los Angeles, CA

2:00 PM

University of Washington

11-3

UCLA

8-5

Washington

UCLA

October 06, 2019 | Volleyball

Box Score Pac-12 Network Recap Box Score PDF

By: UW Athletic Communications

LOS ANGELES – Washington made sure no Pac-12 team made it through the first two weeks of conference play unscathed, handing UCLA its first Pac-12 loss today in four sets at Pauley Pavilion. The eighth-ranked Huskies (11-3, 2-2 Pac-12) got a big showing from junior Maria Bogomolova to supplement its usual suspects on offense, as Bogomolova started and had eight kills without an error.

Washington took a 2-0 lead in large part thanks to a big edge at the service line, and then got the offense in gear to hold off a Bruins (8-5, 3-1 Pac-12) rally to win by a final count of 25-21, 25-23, 20-25, 25-23. The Huskies finished with nine aces, seven in the first two sets, while UCLA had only two. The Bruins actually outhit the Huskies, .312 to .262, and led in total kills, 60-54. Blocks were essentially even, 8.5 to 8.0.

"We expected UCLA to be really good and to fight well and we knew they had some exceptional outside hitters," said Head Coach Keegan Cook. "It's been a long six weeks on the road and we needed a gritty one here with a few players injured. Really happy to see us execute some great serving and passing to really carry us through."

Bogomolova hit .421 with her career-high eight kills on 19 attacks, also a career-high, and also served three aces. Her previous career-high for kills was two, earlier this season against Omaha. Senior Kara Bajema led the Dawgs with 18 kills and junior Samantha Drechsel had 12 kills on a .233 attack percentage, while Lauren Sanders hit .348 with 10 kills and four blocks, including one on match point.

"I told Maria that I have a lot of confidence in her as an attacker, and she certainly showed that tonight, hitting for a really nice efficiency and hitting some great serves for us. You love it when you give kids chances and they make the most of it so I'm really happy for her to get this win."

Sophomore Ella May Powell dished 43 assists and had seven digs, three blocks and two kills. Senior Shayne McPherson had 13 digs and three aces.

Washington won at UCLA for the sixth-straight year.

UP NEXT: Washington is finally back home next week after its long journey of 13 of 14 away from home to start the year. The Huskies host the Oregon schools next week, starting with Oregon State next Friday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. at Alaska Airlines Arena.

SET 1: The Bruins scored the first two points with Avie Niece getting UW started with a rejection on the third point. Sanders had a slide kill for 3-4 Bruins. Bogomolova got her first kill inside the block and down for 6-7 and then Bajema tied it with a big swing. Niece had a solo block for UW's first lead of the set. McPherson served an ace into the seam between defenders for 10-8 Dawgs. Bogomolova then added another two aces in a row for 13-9 and the Bruins called timeout. Sanders killed another slide from Powell to make it 15-11. Emma Calle got a fourth Husky serve to make it 16-11. Samantha Drechsel leaned back and spun one to the floor for 17-13. The Huskies got caught in the net a couple times as UCLA fought back within a point at 19-18 to make the Huskies call time. UCLA scored twice more out of the break to retake the lead before missing serve for 20-20. The Bruins got called for a center line violation, and then Bogomolova served her third ace of the set to get UW back up, 22-20, and force the last Bruins timeout. On the next point, Bogomolova had a dig, and Bajema cuffed one up the line for a kill. Another long rally, with a couple digs from Shannon Crenshaw, was finished by Bajema off the block for set point at 24-20. UCLA saved the first with a kill to snap the 5-0 Husky run. Sanders finished it on the next point with a slide kill for 25-21.

The Huskies served up five aces to turn the set in their favor despite UCLA outhitting the Huskies, .222 to .184. Bajema had five kills in the set and Sanders had three on five swings without an error.

SET 2: UCLA misfired twice to start the second set. Bajema bounced one in front of the Bruin libero for 4-2 Dawgs. Sanders crushed an inside slide from Powell for 6-3. Powell wound up and took a big swing at a 50-50 ball and put it away for 8-5. Bogomolova ripped one crosscourt from the left for 11-6. Washington made three consecutive errors to let UCLA back within a pair but got another McPherson ace to push back to 13-9. UCLA aced the Dawgs back though for 13-11. Kills from Bogomolova and Bajema kept the Huskies with the slim edge. The Bruins got back even at 16-all, but Drechsel tooled the block from the left for 17-16. Powell saved a tight pass with a one-hand set to Niece for a kill for 18-17. Niece and Bajema finished a big rally with a straight-down block for 19-17. McPherson dove over the scorer's table to try and keep a point going and came out in one piece, but the Bruins took the point despite her hustle and tied it up at 20-20. Sanders finished a slide off the block for 22-21. McPherson laid out for a pancake dig of a serve that caught the tape and Sanders eventually finished for a big kill at 23-22. Short on subs, Sanders then rotated back to serve, and she made the most of it with an ace to give UW set point at 24-22. The Bruins saved the first, but Drechsel put it away on UW's next chance with a kill over the block and to the floor for 25-23.

Again the Huskies won despite being outhit in the set, as the Bruins hit .321 and UW hit .182, but two more aces and a few Bruin mistakes that didn't show up in the box score made a difference.

SET 3: The Bruins scored four of the first five to start the third set, with Bogomolova getting an important early kill to stop the damage. Powell killed one on two and then a Husky triple block with Sanders at the middle was followed by a Bajema ace as the Dawgs tied it right back up at 5-5. The teams traded sideouts for a long stretch with a couple kills from Drechsel and a Niece quick kill, until a Husky hitting error put them down two at 10-12. UCLA took a 15-11 lead to the media timeout. Sanders put two straight kills down from Powell out of the break to get the Huskies back within 13-15. Sanders crushed another slide for 15-16. Bogomolova had a big kill off the block from a Powell bump set for 17-18. UCLA finally broke out of the sideout war with a kill off UW's block for 18-21 and the Huskies took time. The Bruins roofed the Dawgs out of the break for a four point lead before Bajema tooled the block for 19-22. The Huskies missed serve and then UCLA scored after a poor Husky pass to reach set point at 19-24. Sanders saved one with a kill but the Huskies then hit out for 20-25.

Despite the Husky attacking scoring much better at .424, the Huskies could not slow down UCLA at all as the Bruins hit .529 in the frame.

SET 4: Kills from Bogomolova and Bajema had UW on top 3-2 to start the fourth set. Drechsel finished with a block touch for 6-5. Niece dove to save a Bruins swing that just trickled over the net and Bogomolova finished it for 7-5. Bajema killed a UCLA overpass off a tough Drechsel serve for 9-6. UCLA scored three in a row with an ace and a kill after a UW free ball to tie it, but Bogomolova found the far corner from the right pin for 10-9. UCLA went on a run to open up a three-point lead at 11-14. Drechsel got the Huskies back within one with a kill from the left. But another 4-1 run for the Bruins pushed it to 15-19 and the Huskies called timeout. Drechsel sparked UW with a big kill in serve-receive out of the break. Niece converted a quick from Powell in transition for 17-19 and then Bajema went off the block and down for a third-straight point. UCLA snapped the run with a kill but Bajema answered off a McPherson bump set for 19-20. McPherson then floated a deep ace off the defense to tie it up at 20. The teams traded service errors for 21-all. Sanders and Powell teamed up for a rejection to put UW up, 22-21. The Bruins then sent a swing long for 23-21 and needed timeout. Out of the break, the Huskies served long, but on the next point, the Bruins dug several tough Husky swings, but Bajema finally went off the block for end it for match point at 24-22. A misplaced bump set cost UW one and the Huskies took timeout at 24-23. UCLA got a look on the next point but on a tight set, Powell and Sanders went up and blocked it for the win, 25-23.

For the first time in the match the Huskies outhit the Bruins in the fourth, .270 to .200, with Drechsel and Bajema both putting down five kills in the last set and Bogomolova getting three on five swings.