No. 8 Huskies Topple Top-Ranked Cardinal

Sunday, September 29

Stanford, CA

2:00 PM

University of Washington

10-2, 1-1

Stanford

7-3, 1-1

Washington

Stanford

September 29, 2019 | Volleyball

Box Score Pac-12 Networks Recap Box Score PDF

By: UW Athletic Communications

PALO ALTO, Calif. – Washington Volleyball put an end to No. 1-ranked Stanford's long run through the Pac-12 conference today, knocking off the Cardinal in four sets and earning its first win in Maples Pavilion in a dozen years. The eighth-ranked Huskies got their sixth-win against a ranked opponent this season, stopping Stanford 25-17, 18-25, 25-15, 25-16 in front of 3,632 fans.

The last time the defending NCAA Champion Cardinal lost a Pac-12 match was on Nov. 8, 2017, and that also came at the hands of the Huskies, at Alaska Airlines Arena when Stanford was ranked No. 2. Since then the Cardinal had won 26 in a row against Pac-12 foes until the Dawgs got them again today.

It's Washington's first win in Maples Pavilion since Oct. 12, 2007, and the first Husky win over a No. 1-ranked team since Oct. 30, 2015, when the Huskies defeated then-No. 1 USC at home. Washington actually has now won its last three matches against No. 1-ranked teams.

The Dawgs had been upset in Pullman in their Pac-12 opener, but clearly did not let that linger, and bounced back in a huge way, which impressed Head Coach Keegan Cook.

"What a response by our group against a really good Stanford team," Cook said. "Throughout the entire match, whether we were winning or losing … same focus and same communication. I was really impressed with how connected we were to the game plan and to what was going on."

Here's what Kara had to say to the @Pac12Network after today's thriller! ????#PointHuskies pic.twitter.com/34zLjwFsAj
— Washington Volleyball (@UWVolleyball) September 30, 2019

Not since four-time All-American Christal Morrison's senior season had the Huskies came out of Maples with a win.

"What makes it hard (to win at Stanford) is they're always really good. We've been up before, we've been up 2-1, gone to fifth sets here, and I just thought the consistent pressure in the fourth game, staying connected to the game plan, we just kept pushing all the way through."

Aside from a 9-2 run that Stanford (7-3, 1-1 Pac-12) made to break open and win the second set, the Huskies (10-2, 1-1 Pac-12) fully controlled the match. The Huskies hit .288 and held Stanford to just .111 today. They had more kills (55-43), more blocks (16.0 to 9.5) and were even in digs (56-56).

WHO LET THE DAWGS OUT?! ??

No. 8 @UWVolleyball earns their first win in Maples in over a decade by upsetting No. 1 Stanford in four sets (25-17, 18-25, 25-15, 25-16)!#NCAAVB pic.twitter.com/bXZVmGddV0
— NCAA Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) September 29, 2019

Senior Kara Bajema turned in a tremendous effort with 17 kills, hitting .302, with 10 digs and five blocks. Washington's middle blocker duo was huge today, as junior Lauren Sanders had nine kills and nine blocks, and senior Avie Niece hit .636 with seven kills and added six blocks.

Sophomore Ella May Powell had one of her sharpest matches with 44 assists and 12 digs and senior libero Shayne McPherson dug up 13 and had five assists along with a huge serving run in the third set.

Sophomore Claire Hoffman returned from missing the Pac-12 opener and she had 11 kills and eight digs and junior Samantha Drechsel had nine kills, hitting .261 with five digs and five blocks.

UP NEXT: The Huskies have yet another road trip ahead next week before they finally have four in a row at home. First it's off to Los Angeles to take on USC next Friday, Oct. 4, then UCLA on Sunday, Oct. 6. Both matches will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks.

SET 1: The Cardinal scored the first two points but UW tied it with the next two on a Sanders slide kill and a Powell dump. A couple kills from Bajema aided the Huskies to a 5-3 lead. Drechsel and Niece got the first Husky block for 7-5. Niece won a joust at the net and then she and Hoffman teamed up for a stuff for a 10-6 Husky lead. Drechsel clocked two straight kills on the right side for a 12-7 lead and the Cardinal called timeout. The Cardinal got a cheap one back with an ace that hit the tape and fell straight down, but UW answered with a kill from Sanders and a transition kill high-hands from Hoffman for 14-10. Sanders then had a solo roof for 15-10 Dawgs. Sanders had two more kills for 17-12, and then Bajema found the floor from the left for 18-13. The second ace for the Cardinal cut it to 18-15 and UW used its first timeout. Stanford missed serve out of the break but then scored the next two before missing another serve for 20-17 Dawgs. Bajema got the first Husky ace as Stanford let it go and it found the back line for 22-17 and the Cardinal used their last timeout. The Dawgs kept rolling as Niece hammered down an overpass and then a nice dig from Powell was followed by a Hoffman kill for set point at 24-17. The Dawgs didn't waste any time, stuffing the next Stanford swing for the 25-17 win.

The Huskies hit .306 in the set and limited the Cardinal to just .094, as Sanders had four kills on five swings and Bajema had four kills plus five digs.

SET 2: As in the first set, Stanford scored the first two, getting another fortunate tape-drop ace, but Hoffman hammered one to get UW on the board. Powell tipped one to the deep corner for a kill and 4-6 in Stanford's favor. UW won a wild rally with a diving save from Bajema and finishing with a Hoffman kill, then Sanders and Drechsel posted back to back stuffs to get the Huskies back even at 9-9. Hoffman had two more kills on tough swings to keep the Dawgs close, with Stanford taking a 15-13 lead into the media timeout. Powell found Niece on a quick strike for 14-15 and after a UW missed serve, the two had the same result for 15-16. The Dawgs tied it at 16, but the Cardinal answered with a 3-0 run to force a Husky timeout at 16-19. Stanford saved what looked like a Sanders kill and turned it suddenly into a kill of its own, and then followed with an ace as they opened up a 16-22 lead and the Huskies had to call another timeout. Stanford had another ace out of the break before Sanders had a quick kill to snap the seven-point run. A Stanford kill ended it at 25-18.

The Huskies hit .346 in the set but Stanford was even better at .419 and had three aces to offset UW's three blocks. Hoffman had four kills on seven swings for UW.

SET 3: Bajema found the corner for the kill on the first point of the third. Sanders had another rejection for 2-1. Hoffman had two straight kills out of the back row for a 4-2 Husky lead. Stanford tied it at 4-4, but the Huskies then pounced with four straight points, as Bajema and Drechsel both finished Powell sets on the right side, and then the Cardinal missed a couple into the net. Niece put down a quick from Powell and then the Huskies got one of the lucky net-aces back as McPherson's serve dropped down for 11-5, forcing a Stanford timeout. Drechsel and Sanders blocked the Cardinal out of the break and then Stanford missed wide to keep the run going. McPherson dug up another rocket and Drechsel returned fire for a kill and then another Stanford error made it 16-5 and Stanford used its last timeout. Out of that break, Hoffman went off the block for another point and 16-5 before the Cardinal finally snapped the 8-0 Husky run on McPherson's serve. Bajema laid one up the left sideline and then Sanders and Powell roofed the Cardinal straight down for 20-8 Dawgs. A second-straight block came from Bajema and Sanders for a 13-point lead. Bogomolova had a dig and Bajema stepped inside the pin and ripped straight to the floor for 23-11. A Stanford error made it set point Dawgs at 24-13. Drechsel capped the stellar set with a kill from the left for 25-15 and the 2-1 lead.

Washington hit .237 in the set and held Stanford in the negative, with eight kills and 10 errors, four of those on Husky blocks. Bajema had five kills and hit .357 in the frame and Powell had 12 assists.

SET 4: Bajema had a huge stuff to give the Dawgs some early fire in the fourth set up 2-1, and then Bogomolova got an ace off the net tape. Powell and Niece then followed with a rejection for a 4-1 lead. Niece had a bump set and Drechsel made it work from 10-feet off the net for a 6-3 lead. Sanders finished a quick from Powell for 8-5. Bajema rose up for a solo rejection to make it 10-6 Dawgs. Another Bajema transition kill straight to the floor made it 12-7 and forced a Stanford timeout. Out of the break, Niece and Bajema roofed the Cardinal for a six-point lead. Stanford trimmed a couple off it but Bajema answered from the left for 14-9. Niece destroyed a quick and a couple Cardinal miscues helped UW rebuild the six-point lead at 18-12 and Stanford used its final timeout. Drechsel put one away from the right side out of the break before a service error snapped the 3-0 Husky run. Drechsel and Sanders ended a crucial long rally with a block of a Cardinal tip attempt for 20-14. Sanders got the Dawgs one point closer with a slide kill in serve-receive. Bajema destroyed a Powell set after a Stanford free ball for 22-15 Dawgs. Sanders had yet another beautiful swing on the slide for 23-16.

The Dawgs posted five blocks in the final set, with three assists from Niece and one solo and two assits from Bajema. Bajema had six kills and Sanders had four on six swings to help close things out. The Huskies hit .282 and again held Stanford in check at .031.