No. 8 Huskies Elite With 3-1 Win Over No. 9 Wildcats

Friday, December 13

Waco, TX

11:30 AM

University of Washington

27-6

Kentucky

25-7

Kentucky

Washington

December 13, 2019 | Volleyball

Box Score Video: Post-Match Press Conference Box Score PDF NCAA Bracket Tournament Central Video: Highlights

By: UW Athletic Communications

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS • REGIONALS
FERRELL CENTER • WACO, TEXAS

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13 • ROUND OF 16
(1) Baylor def. (16) Purdue, 3-1
(8) Washington def. (9) Kentucky, 3-1

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14 • QUARTERFINAL
(8) Washington at (1) Baylor • 1 pm PT • ESPNU | Live Stats

WACO, Texas – Eighth-seeded Washington fought its way back to the NCAA Elite Eight today with a four set victory over ninth-seeded Kentucky, the co-champs from the SEC. The Huskies (27-6) earned a shot at No. 1 overall seed Baylor tomorrow at 1 p.m. Pacific time with a spot in the Final Four on the line.

The Dawgs and Wildcats squared off today at Baylor's Ferrell Center, with Washington getting off to its fastest start in a number of matches to win the first set going away, then hanging on for a tight second set win to go up 2-0. Kentucky (25-7) responded with a third-set win but Washington settled and won four of the final five points in a close fourth set to complete the victory, 25-16, 26-24, 15-25, 25-22.

??? Roll the tape on a sweet Husky victory!!#PointHuskies x #NCAAVB pic.twitter.com/odV8gk0Ws7
— Washington Volleyball (@UWVolleyball) December 13, 2019

The Huskies improve to 11-4 all-time in the Round of 16 and reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 2016. It's the third time in Head Coach Keegan Cook's five seasons that the Dawgs have made the Elite Eight. Saturday, the squad will look to reach the Final Four for the fifth time in program history and the first since 2013.

"A big congratulations to Kentucky on their season," said Coach Cook. "[A team that's] every bit as talented and skilled as we thought they were. A program that's going to be good for a really long time. Pleased with our composure there in the end. I thought we lost ourselves there in the third set and steadied out in the fourth. A great match, what a great start to this Regional, and excited for our kids to have the opportunity to play tomorrow."

Senior Kara Bajema led the way once again with 24 kills, hitting .400 for the match, and in the process she broke the UW school record for kills in a season. Bajema now has 577 on the year, surpassing the 573 kills set by All-American Paige Benjamin in 2002.

?? Kara Bajema is the new UW single season kills leader??

Keep that number climbing??#PointHuskies pic.twitter.com/9tHJNoPH3e
— Washington Volleyball (@UWVolleyball) December 13, 2019

Senior Avie Niece was big today with eight kills on a .538 attack percentage with five block assists. Sophomore Ella May Powell had 37 assists, three aces, six digs, and four kills on five swings including the final one at 24-22 in the fourth. Sophomore Claire Hoffman also chipped in eight kills and nine digs with two blocks, and junior Maria Bogomolova served three aces including one in the crucial late stages of set four.

The Huskies held a slight edge in attack percentage overall, hitting .278 to .271 for Kentucky. Kentucky served nine aces but missed 11 serves while the Huskies had seven aces and missed just five. The teams were even with eight blocks apiece and nearly even in digs, with 49 for Kentucky and 48 for UW.

UP NEXT: Washington and Baylor meet for the first time in program history tomorrow in the Regional final. Baylor defeated No. 16-seed Purdue in four sets in the first match today. The match will be live on ESPNU at 1 p.m. Pacific time.

SET 1: The teams traded points back and forth early in set one. Hoffman had the first kill for the Dawgs. Powell went over on two from a tight pass for 3-3, and Drechsel hit out of the back row for 3-all. Powell fired an ace off the tape and then another tough serve got a free ball and Avie Niece hammered for 6-4 Huskies. Bajema got her first kill off a McPherson bump set and then Kentucky hit one long for fifth-straight Husky point and 8-4. Another Kentucky error and a Bajema transition kill pushed it to 10-4 and forced a Kentucky timeout. Drechsel put one away that Kentucky unsuccessfully challenged to make it 13-8 Dawgs. A Sanders swing was blocked up above the net and Bajema hit it down for 16-10 and Kentucky used its last timeout as the Dawgs were on a 3-0 run. Bajema buried two more from the left and Powell notched another ace for 20-12. Niece and Drechsel roofed one to make it 22-13. The Huskies won another incredible rally on a Hoffman tip for 23-13. Sanders hit down a 50-50 ball to end the set, 25-16.

The Huskies rolled to a .414 attack percentage in the set while Kentucky finished at .276. Bajema had five kills on eight swings to hit .625 with Drechsel added four kills and Powell served two aces.

SET 2: Hoffman took the McPherson bump set and hammered it for the first point of set two. Bajema got another past the block from the left for 4-2 Dawgs. Maria Bogomolova lined an ace for 5-2. Kentucky had an ace on a 3-0 run to close to 6-5 before missing serve. The Wildcats got even, but Hoffman regained the lead with a tough swing for 10-9. Kentucky took its first lead at 11-12 but missed serve for 12-all. Kentucky though came back with another 3-0 run to take its biggest lead at 12-15 at the media timeout. Bajema finished to cut it to 14-16 and then Powell floated another ace to the back line for 15-16. But Kentucky won two long rallies after that to get back up three and UW called timeout. Bajema got one to fall from the right and then Niece and Drechsel rejected the next Kentucky swing. On the next point, Bajema's serve was overpassed and Niece stuffed it down for 18-18 and Kentucky called time. Bajema had a dig and Drechsel finished the Powell set to put the Huskies back up before Kentucky got a kill to break the 4-0 run and tie it at 19. A short McPherson serve was overpassed and Sanders put it down for 21-19. Sanders hung in the air and reached to stuff down a tip attempt for 23-20 Dawgs and the final Kentucky timeout. Sanders stuffed another after a tough Drechsel serve to get UW to set point at 24-20. Kentucky saved the first with a kill and then served an ace for 24-22 and the Huskies took time. Out of the break, stunningly the Wildcats got two more aces in a row to tie it. Bajema got a perfect pass and Powell dumped for a kill to get the Huskies a fifth chance. Hoffman had a nice serve and then a dig to give Bajema a swing, and it went off the block and into the antenna, but was called to have hit the antenna first. Coach Cook challenged it and after a review, the officials reversed it, saying it was off Kentucky first, and the Huskies had pulled it out, 26-24, to go up 2-0.

The Dawgs hit strong once again, hitting .435 compared to .250 for Kentucky, helping UW survive six aces by the Wildcats. The Huskies had two aces of their own and did not miss a serve while Kentucky missed four.

SET 3: Kentucky had an early four point run to get the edge in the third set, but Drechsel smacked an ace to make it 3-4. Powell had a fantastic behind-the-head dump for 4-5. But Kentucky had two more aces and a block to go on another 4-0 run to make it 4-9 and the Huskies called timeout. Bajema ended the run with a left side swing out of the break. A great dig from McPherson let Bajema finish in transition for 7-10. But Kentucky made another run to put the Huskies in a big hole at 8-15 and UW used its last timeout. The Huskies made a 3-0 run with a block from Hoffman and Sanders to get within seven points at 11-18, but that was as close as the Huskies would get as the Wildcats went on to win the frame, 25-15.

Washington had a set to forget, hitting just .034 while Kentucky hit .333. Bajema had six kills on nine swings without an error.

SET 4: Drechsel and Hoffman had early kills and Bajema tooled the block for 3-3 in the fourth. An ace from Bogomolova gave the Huskies a 5-4 edge. A Hoffman swing went down for 8-7 Dawgs and then Hoffman went up and stuffed one for 9-7. Niece finished a quick for 10-8. The teams continued trading points with Bajema finishing from the back row for 12-10. Bajema then capped a nice rally from the left for a 13-10 lead and Kentucky took time. The Wildcats got a couple out of the break, but Bajema's 21st kill made it 14-12 and broke the UW single season kills record. Niece and Bajema stuffed one for 15-12. Kentucky rallied again and got even at 17-all, but Niece put one away for 18-17. Hoffman tipped for a point for 19-18. The Huskies looked to have a point for 21-19 but a Kentucky challenged reversed it for a net violation and then Kentucky followed with an ace for 20-21. Bajema got the big swing to tie it back up, and then Bogomolova dug one and Bajema converted for 22-21. Bogomolova then stepped up and fired an ace for 23-21 and Kentucky took its final timeout. A huge Husky block out of the break got UW to match point at 24-21. Bajema had a swing on the next point but missed it wide for 24-22. On the next chance, Hoffman received serve and it came low and quick towards Powell and she turned and threw it down to clinch it, 25-22.

The Huskies hit .244 in the final set while Kentucky hit .263 but the Dawgs had 17 kills compared to 14 for Kentucky. Bajema had eight kills in the set and Niece had four kills and three blocks. Powell had 16 assists on UW's 17 kills, the only one she didn't assist was her kill on match point.