Crenshaw Clicks In 3-0 Win Over No. 25 Bruins

Sunday, November 3

Seattle, WA

2:00 PM

University of Washington

17-5, 8-4Pac-12

UCLA

13-8, 8-4Pac-12

UCLA

Washington

Photo by: Red Box Pictures

November 03, 2019 | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score PDF

By: UW Athletic Communications

SEATTLE – Every Husky attacker hit over .300 today with sophomore Shannon Crenshaw shining with 10 kills on a .474 attack percentage, and the 12th-ranked Huskies closed out 25th-ranked UCLA in straight sets today, 25-14, 25-14, 25-23. In front of 3,065 fans at Alaska Airlines Arena, Washington (17-5, 8-4 Pac-12) snapped UCLA's four match win streak and moved back into a tie for second-place in the conference.

The Huskies hit .375 as a team, their best mark since Oct. 11 against Oregon State, which was also their last 3-0 sweep. Sophomore Ella May Powell ran a balanced offense with 37 assists and the Husky passers fought off some tough Bruin serves to give Powell options. Senior libero Shayne McPherson led all players with 15 digs as the Huskies held UCLA (13-8, 8-4 Pac-12) to just .091 on offense.

Washington dominated the first two sets and then had to withstand a late UCLA rally in the third set that came at a very similar point to when USC made a big comeback to grab the fourth set on Friday night and then go on to win in five. This time the Huskies would turn away the visitors.

Said Head Coach Keegan Cook, "The game is interesting. It's the same score, the same server, same rotation against a great server, and this time a different result so I'm glad that we had a chance to be in that same scenario and have a different ending. Impressed overall by our response, as I often am, after we have a disappointing performance."

Crenshaw had a strong effort Friday but it ended in frustration as the Huskies lost a five setter to the Trojans. Today she was even better and got to savor the win this time, as she had 10 kills on 19 swings with just one error and added seven digs.

"You hope it for kids sometimes, but they've got to do it out there, and she looked just like she looked two nights ago but even better," said Cook on Crenshaw. "The kid puts in a lot of work before practice, after practice, she's been hearing a lot of feedback for the last year and a half, and making changes is hard, and she's done that. Now she's getting the reward of that so I'm really happy for her."

Senior Kara Bajema tallied 11 kills on a .310 attack percentage with a pair of aces and two blocks and junior Samantha Drechsel also had 10 kills on a .333 percentage with six digs and two aces.

The middles got into the act on offense as well as defense. Senior Avie Niece hit .714 with five kills on seven swings, adding five block assists. Junior Lauren Sanders had four kills, hitting .375, and had two solo blocks and three block assists.

UP NEXT: Washington is off to Oregon next week, taking on the Ducks in Eugene on Thursday, Nov. 7, then taking on Oregon State on Sunday in Corvallis.

SET 1: A block by Sanders and Drechsel made it 2-1 Huskies to start. Avie Niece evened it up at 5-5 with her first kill. Powell launched a perfect backset to Drechsel for a rocket and a 10-7 lead. Bajema dropped a change-up over the block and down for 13-10. Sanders ended a long rally with a solo stuff for 14-11. The Huskies went on a 3-0 run after the media timeout to take an 18-12 lead as Drechsel capped a long rally with a powerful swing, and then Niece converted in transition on a quick from Powell, and Bajema smoked one from the left. A Bajema ace was followed by a long rally that ended with a Drechsel-Niece stuff block that elicited a huge roar from the fans. Bajema then served up a second ace for 22-13 and UCLA took its last timeout. Another emphatic block from Niece and Drechsel and a UCLA service error made it set point and the Bruins hit one out to end it, 25-14.

The Huskies hit an excellent .387 in set one and held the Bruins to .135 thanks to a 4-0 advantage in blocks. Niece killed all three of her attempts and Bajema put four away on 12 swings.

SET 2: Drechsel pounded a right side swing for the first point of the second. Bajema pushed a tight set through the block for 4-2. Maria Bogomolova fired an ace for a 5-2 lead but the Bruins countered with three to tie it. Niece regained the lead with another quick kill. Drechsel tipped for a kill and then Niece and Crenshaw capped a long rally with a stuff on the left for 10-6 and UCLA took timeout. Drechsel crushed another up the line from the right for 12-6 Dawgs. But the Bruins responded with four in a row to get right back in it and force a Husky timeout at 12-10. Crenshaw had two-straight kills, the second after a great Bajema dig, to push back up 15-11. Crenshaw then got another call after UW challenged successfully for a Bruins block error, and then the Bruins made an error for 17-11. The run kept going with a Sanders slide kill and then a Drechsel service ace. Sanders then stuffed two straight Bruin swings and UCLA misfired for 22-11. One more Crenshaw finish from a Powell set capped what ended up as a 10-0 Husky run. Powell killed on two to get the Huskies to set point, and Sanders finished it with a slide for 25-14.

The Huskies were on target once again in set two, hitting .393 and UCLA was in the negatives at -.067. Powell spread the offense around again with 12 assists to her five attackers with Crenshaw leading with four kills and three each for Drechsel and Bajema.

SET 3: The Dawgs grabbed the first three points in the third on a Crenshaw kill, a UCLA error, and a Drechsel ace. Niece and Powell won a joust at the net for 6-4 Dawgs. UCLA took its first lead with consecutive blocks for 6-7. Sanders solo stuffed a UCLA quick attempt to put UW back up, 10-9. Crenshaw found hands for the kill and UCLA missed one long for 13-10 Dawgs. A perfect McPherson pass was set by Powell to Bajema for the crosscourt kill for 15-13 at the media timeout. Bajema was all over a stuff block out of the break for 16-13. Powell's serve caught the tape and rolled over for an ace to make it 19-15 and the Bruins took time. Drechsel hit down a UCLA overpass off the tough Powell serve for 20-15, but UCLA won a long rally and then aced the Dawgs for 20-18 and the Huskies called timeout. The Bruins got another block to get within one before Drechsel tooled the block to keep the lead at 21-19. Drechsel had a transition right side kill for 22-19. Powell hit Niece on a quick for 23-20. UCLA finished but Crenshaw answered with the pass and then the kill for match point at 24-21. The Bruins got a kill and then dropped in an ace to spoil two match points and force UW to take time. Out of the break, McPherson had the perfect pass and Powell set Bajema on the pipe and she ripped it to the floor to end it, 25-23.

The Huskies were above .300 again in the third set, hitting .310 compared to .152 for the Bruins and withstanding four UCLA aces with three of their own. Crenshaw, Drechsel, and Bajema all had four kills apiece in the final set.