Bajema Leads Dawgs To Epic Fifth-Set Comeback

Sunday, November 17

Seattle, WA

1:00 PM

University of Washington

Utah

November 17, 2019 | Volleyball

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By: UW Athletic Communications

SEATTLE – In one of the most epic matches seen in Alaska Airlines Arena in years, the 13th-ranked Husky volleyball team survived seven match points and defeated 15th-ranked Utah on its second match point, pulling out a wild 21-19 fifth set victory on a Kara Bajema stuff block that sent the 2,665 fans home happy. Washington (21-5, 12-4 Pac-12) moved into sole possession of second-place in the Pac-12 with the 25-18, 20-25, 18-25, 25-14, 21-19 marathon win over the Utes (19-8, 11-5 Pac-12).

The fifth set was enough of a story in and of itself, as the Huskies had to save three-straight match points from 11-14 down. The Dawgs saved another match point at 14-15 and went up for the first time at 16-15 but Avie Niece just barely missed an open look that could have ended it. Washington then had three more to save before a crucial replay review turned a serve from Claire Hoffman from an error into an ace, as it caught the back line to put UW back up, 20-19. Bajema then finished it off with a picture perfect block.

"Obviously a classic match, and a memory that I think our kids deserve for how much work they put in," said Head Coach Keegan Cook. "Would have been fine, either way, in that fifth set, just playing hard and getting after it, but to have something like that happen is pretty special. A lot of plays that we'll go back and watch for a while."

Bajema carried the Huskies in the fourth and fifth sets, as she had eight kills in each frame, adding up to a career-high-tying 26 kills on a .339 attack percentage. She also had seven blocks, three of them solo, 10 digs and two aces.

Kara Bajema after her 2??6?? kill performance (8?? in set five) ??#PointHuskies pic.twitter.com/QbjvA9sZnA
— Washington Volleyball (@UWVolleyball) November 18, 2019

"I put a lot on (Bajema)" said Cook. "I was on her pretty good after the Colorado match but when it comes to the biggest moments she's got the competitive spirit to be great, and you all got to see that tonight. Happy for everyone and most happy for her."

Junior Samantha Drechsel did her part with 15 kills on a .314 attack percentage with two aces and two blocks. Niece had nine kills and eight blocks and sophomore Claire Hoffman added eight kills. Sophomore Ella May Powell had 50 assists tonight, serving a career-high four aces, and adding 11 digs and a big four block assists. Senior Shayne McPherson had 12 digs and six assists.

Washington hit .270 for the match compared to .221 for the Utes, and had a 65-61 edge in total kills, an 11-4 edge in aces, and a 16.0 to 11.0 advantage in blocks. The Huskies overcame a struggle with service errors, as they missed 13, but missed none in the final set.

Another look ... 2?1?-1?9?#PointHuskies pic.twitter.com/t9FajlbQrd
— Washington Volleyball (@UWVolleyball) November 17, 2019

UP NEXT: Washington takes its final road trip of the regular season next week, heading to Arizona to face the Arizona Wildcats on Nov. 22 in Tucson and then traveling to Tempe to take on Arizona State on Nov. 24.

SET 1: Utah scored the first two points before Powell got the Huskies on the board with a dump on two. Maria Bogomolova got an early ace off the Utes and Bajema's first kill made it 3-2 Dawgs. Niece got a kill on a Utes block error for 5-3. The Utes rallied to take a one-point lead but Drechsel finished and then Sanders had a solo rejection in the middle to cap a 3-0 Husky run for 9-7. Utah tied it again but Drechsel put one down and then the Utes hit one wide for 12-9. Hoffman hit sharp crosscourt off a McPherson set for 13-9 and the Utes took timeout. Bogomolova got a serve run going as Bajema hammered down an overpass and then she and Niece teamed up for a block to stretch the lead to 17-11. Washington ran down a couple digs well off the court and kept the rally alive, and then Bogomolova took a swing out of the back row and placed it perfectly up the line for a kill and 18-11, forcing Utah's last timeout. Powell picked up another ace for 20-12 Dawgs, and then Niece put one down unassisted for another point. Another ace was served up by Bajema and Hoffman finished a rally with Niece on the assist for set point at 24-13. Utah made things a little tense by saving five set points but Hoffman finally ended it with a kill off the block for the 25-18 win.

The Huskies hit .314 in the first set compared to .219 for the Utes and had a 3-0 edge in aces. Bajema had five kills while Hoffman had four on five swings to hit .800.

SET 2: Like the first set, the Utes scored the first two but then the Huskies ran off a 5-0 run, four on Bogomolova's serve. Bajema started it with a kill, then Niece finished out of the middle and Powell got the most of a booming rejection. A Bogomolova serve was overpassed and Bajema hammered it for 5-2. Bajema capped a long rally with a solo stuff on the left pin for 7-3 and then a Utah error forced the Utes to take time at 8-3 Dawgs. Out of the break, Powell fired an ace for a fourth-straight point. A Drechsel finish made it 10-4, but Utah then got on a streak and scored four straight to make it 10-8 and the Huskies took time. Utah missed one out of the break but then scored another four straight as it was an 8-1 run overall before Drechsel had a kill to tie it at 12-12. Utah extended out to a three-point lead as the Huskies continued to struggle to pass. Drechsel went off the block on the left for a big point for 16-18. But Utah tooled the UW block and then blocked the Huskies for 16-20 and UW used its last timeout. McPherson had a nice backset to Drechsel for a right side kill out of the break and then Utah missed one long for 18-20. Sanders had a kill off the block for 20-22, but UW then missed serve and was aced on set point to end it, 20-25.

The Huskies and Utes hit the same in the set, both at .226, but the Huskies made four service errors compared to just one for Utah, and Utah had two aces to one for UW. Drechsel had four kills without an error.

SET 3: Niece and Bajema had early kills in the third for a 3-1 lead. Utah scored three straight but Niece finished a quick in serve-receive for 5-5. Sanders hammered a slide down for 7-8 Utes. Bajema lasered one crosscourt from the left for 10-11 but a Utah ace pushed it to 10-13. Drechsel had no approach from 10 feet off but she blasted it past the block for a kill, and then Hoffman and Niece teamed for a stuff for 12-13. But a Husky serve error was compounded by an attacking error on the next point and then a Utah block for 13-17 and the Huskies needed timeout. Sanders had a block and a kill but UW needed timeout again at 15-20. Washington overpassed twice in a row out of the break for two more Utah points as the set slipped away from the Huskies. Utah closed it out 25-18.

The Huskies hit just .125 in the set and missed five more serves while Utah hit .233 and missed just one serve.

SET 4: Washington started the fourth with two straight blocks but missed another serve to break momentum. Niece dropped down to dig up a Utah tip and Bajema finished it, and then Niece hammerd down an overpass for 6-2 Huskies and the Utes called an early timeout. Powell kept the run going with an ace for 8-2. Niece crushed a quick and Utah sent one long for 11-3 Dawgs. Drechsel terminated twice from the right for 13-5. A couple errors by the Utes and it was a 10-point lead at 17-7 and Utah used its last timeout. Powell set Drechsel out of the back row for a big swing to make it 19-9. Bajema and Drechsel added kills and then Drechsel got the Huskies to set point with an ace at 24-14. Drechsel dialed up a second-straight ace to end it, 25-14.

Washington hit an outstanding .412 in the fourth and held Utah to .161. Bajema was on fire with eight kill on 15 swings without an error and Powell had 12 assists.

SET 5: Bajema crushed one to the floor on the first point of the fifth. But the Utes then scored the next four in a row to put the Huskies in a 1-4 hole. Bajema and Niece stopped the bleeding with a rejection, and then backed it up with a second in a row for 3-4. Powell served an ace to tie it up at 4-all. Bajema then put down a transition kill for a 5-4 lead before Utah got a kill in serve-receive to snap the 4-0 Husky run. Utah went back up with a block, but Drechsel tied it with a kill high-hands. Drechsel broke through the block again for 7-all. Utah got a block for a two-point lead but Drechsel converted again for 8-9. The Huskies called time after a Utah sideout made it 8-10. Utah scored out of the break on its first swing after a dig, and then a service ace put the Huskies down four and they used another timeout now down 8-12. McPherson had a perfect pass and Bajema hit out of the back row for the crucial point out of the break. Bogomolova dug a rocket at her and Bajema turned and rolled one deep that caught the endline for 11-13 to force a Utah timeout. The Utes converted hitting off the Husky block and out for match point at 11-14. Bajema saved the first with a missile to the floor. McPherson had a dig on the next point and Powell found Bajema again for another kill for 13-14, forcing the last Utah timeout. McPherson found another dig and Powell went to Bajema who crushed it past the block again to tie it at 14-14. Utah came through on the next point however to regain a match point at 14-15. Drechsel tooled the block for 15-all, and then Bajema fired an ace to put the Huskies up, 16-15. The Dawgs had several swings at the next point, and Niece had an open look above the net but she missed agonizingly just long for 16-all, and then Utah got a kill to go back up, 16-17. Utah got an in-system swing from their star on the left but Drechsel and Niece blocked it straight back down for 17-17. A contested call on the next point went against the Dawgs as Utah flipped one over that was ruled to have missed the antenna and it was mishandled by the Huskies for a kill to go down 17-18. Again the Utes got several swings on the next rally, but UW blocked Utah three times before the third one bounced away out of bounds for 18-18. A serve-receive kill by Utah earned yet another match point, but Hoffman had a perfect pass and Bajema put one off the defense and out from the back row. At 19-all, Hoffman went back to serve, and floated one that Utah let drop on the back line, but it was called long. Washington challenged and as the replay was shown on the big screen, the crowd screamed for a reversal, and the refs agreed, saying it caught the line and it was now 20-19 Huskies with a second match point. Hoffman went back to serve again, and Utah ran a slide to its middle, but Bajema read it all the way and reached over for the one-on-one stuff straight down and the Huskies went wild, celebrating the incredible comeback win, 21-19.

Bajema and Drechsel were the only Huskies with kills in the fifth set, as Bajema racked up eight kills on 14 swings with just one error to hit .500, while Drechsel had four on six swings to hit .667. Bajema had three blocks in the final set, as did Niece, and UW did not miss a serve after missing 13 in the previous four sets.