Bajema And Drechsel Too Much For Beavers

Sunday, November 10

Corvallis, OR

12:00 PM

University of Washington

19-5, 10-4Pac-12

Oregon State

9-16, 3-11Pac-12

Washington

Oregon State

Photo by: Red Box Pictures

November 10, 2019 | Volleyball

Box Score Video: Pac-12 Networks Recap Box Score PDF

By: UW Athletic Communications

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Husky outsides Kara Bajema and Samantha Drechsel powered the Huskies to a victory over Oregon State today, combining for 37 of Washington's 60 total kills in a 25-16, 22-25, 25-13, 25-23 victory at Gill Coliseum in front of 1,239 fans. The Huskies (19-5, 10-4 Pac-12) completed a season sweep of the Oregon schools with the win and remained in a tie for second in the conference race.

The Dawgs thoroughly controlled sets one and three but let the second set slip away and had to execute repeatedly late in the fourth to put away the hard-working Beavers (9-16, 3-11 Pac-12).

"You always feel good to execute in a tight set," said Head Coach Keegan Cook. "I thought Oregon State had some outstanding performances but we're still a tale of two teams at times. We can be really dominant and then at times we can be a little lackadaisical on defense. I thought our serving was a little below par which is something I think we can fix, and I'm excited for these last six matches."

The Huskies hit .303 as a team compared to .188 for Oregon State and had 60 kills to 50 for the Beavers. Washington had 15 total blocks, with Drechsel leading the way with a career-high eight block assists. Washington also had four aces and did not surrender an ace, and finished with a 53-52 edge in digs.

The rundown, then the stuff! ??#NCAAVB | @UWVolleyball pic.twitter.com/aw8kaaVouM
— NCAA Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) November 10, 2019

Bajema put down 20 kills tonight, including the big one on match point to end it, and hit .447. She also had a team-high 15 digs, an ace and three blocks. Drechsel notched 17 kills, with 12 over the final two sets, and hit .350.

"A lot of courageous swings from both of them," said Cook on Drechsel and Bajema. "Even after making an error, coming back and taking another big swing. Sam's been playing great of late, and we've asked Kara to take some big swings out of the back row and she's delivered for sure."

Sophomore setter Ella May Powell had a season-high 51 assists with seven digs and three blocks, while junior Lauren Sanders had six kills and five blocks. Senior Shayne McPherson also had 13 digs and an ace.

UP NEXT: The Dawgs are back home next week to host the Mountain schools, both of which are playing some of their best volleyball. Washington takes on Colorado first on Friday, Nov. 15, at 8 p.m. and then hosts Utah, tied with UW at 10-4 in conference, on Sunday, Nov. 17.

SET 1: Drechsel collected the first kill for the Huskies on the second point of the match. Sanders crushed a slide for her first kill, and then Bajema hit down an overpass off a Bogomolova serve for 4-4. Washington's first three blocks came on three straight points, one on the left, one on the right, and then a triple block in the middle for an 8-5 lead. Grote then ended a fourth-straight rally with a solo block for 9-5. Drechsel absolutely destroyed a ball to the floor for 10-6. A Hoffman finish and an OSU error made it 13-8 and the Beavers took their first timeout. Hoffman went offspeed twice in a row, once into the middle of the court and once up the line, both for kills to make it 15-9. Bajema stuffed an OSU slide attempt for 18-12. Two more long rallies were capped by Bajema hammering from the left for 20-13. Drechsel connected through the block from the right for 23-14. Crenshaw rotated to the front for the first time and got her first kill to make it set point at 24-16 and a Beaver attack error ended it, 25-16.

The Huskies hit .333 in the first set and posted five team blocks to limit Oregon State to a .036 mark. Bajema finished five of her eight swings without an error to hit .625 and Powell had 11 assists.

SET 2: The Huskies started slow in the second set but got a Sanders kill for 2-4 Beavers. OSU pushed out to a four-point lead at 4-8 with Drechsel siding out from the right. But OSU then scored three more in a row for 5-11 and the Huskies called timeout. Onosko ran down a long second touch and UW got it back over and then Sanders and Powell ended it with a stuff and that gave the Huskies a spark. Bajema then ended the next three rallies with big swings from the left as the Dawgs pulled within two at 11-13 and forced the Beavers into a timeout. A Sanders finish was followed by an ace by Bogomolova as the Dawgs got back even at 14-14, then went ahead for the first time at 15-14 on a Powell dump kill. Marin Grote finished a slide for 16-15. A Bajema ace made it 18-16 Dawgs. Oregon State regained the lead with a 3-0 run before missing serve for 20-20. Bajema crushed a pipe set past the triple block for 21-all and then she tied it again at 22. But after a Beavers sideout, Bajema got blocked for set point, and the Beavers converted their first chance to win, 25-22.

The Huskies hit just .167 in the set compared to .308 for the Beavers despite six kills on 13 swings for Bajema.

SET 3: Sanders had a block and Hoffman a kill for 2-2 to start the third set. Drechsel went up the line from the right for 5-4 Dawgs. Avie Niece, who came in to start the third, got a big block for a 7-4 lead. Drechsel finished a Powell set in serve-receive for 10-5. Another Drechsel blast from the right made it 13-6 Dawgs. McPherson dropped the short serve ace in and then put OSU out of system for an error to make it 15-6 and force Oregon State's last timeout. McPherson bump set Drechsel through the block and Hoffman tapped down an overpass for 17-8. Powell floated an ace to the back line for 20-10. Drechsel tallied two more from the right and then Sanders stuffed down an overpass off the McPherson serve to reach set point, and then Sanders rejected the next Beavers swing for the 25-13 win.

The Huskies heated back up to .333 in the third set and held Oregon State to .030 with five blocks, four from Drechsel, and six kills on 13 swings from Drechsel.

SET 4: Hoffman split the blockers for a kill and Sanders finished a slide for 2-3 in the fourth set. Niece finished an overpass off a Powell serve for 4-4. Washington made a pair of errors to help OSU grab a three-point lead at 5-8. The teams traded sideouts for a long stretch, with Powell finding all the Husky hitters in succession. Niece finally snapped the back and forth with a block for 11-12 Beavers. Drechsel hit sharply crosscourt from the right for 13-14. Sanders and Drechsel then evened it up at 14 with another strong stuff. A roof by Sanders and Powell put UW up one at 16-15 but OSU tied it. McPherson bumped one up the line and Bajema found it and killed it for 18-16. Niece killed a slide from Powell for 20-18 Dawgs. Washington missed consecutive serves but kept siding out on its end, with Bajema hammering down from the right for 21-19. The Huskies won a long point on a Crenshaw killl after a great McPherson dig kept it going for 22-19. At 23-20, the Huskies had a good look but Drechsel just missed long and then Bajema came up short on a pipe for 23-22 and the Huskies took timeout. Drechsel pounded down in serve-receive after a great McPherson pass and Powell set for match point at 24-22. Oregon State won a long rally to stay in it and the Huskies took their last timeout. Powell went to Bajema out of the back row and she swung and got it down just inside the block to finish it off, 25-23.

The Huskies hit .400 in the final set to offset Oregon State's .333 mark. Bajema had seven kills on nine swings and Drechsel finished six of 12 to cap outstanding matches for both.