Friday, December 6
Stanford, CA
4:30 PM
University of Washington
19-12,9-11Big Ten
2
vs
3
LMU
25-5,15-2WCC
1
2
3
4
5
F
Washington
18
20
25
25
17
2
LMU (CA)
25
25
23
18
19
3
Huskies Fall In Five-Set Heartbreaker In Round One
December 06, 2024 | Volleyball
STANFORD, Calif. – Trailing two sets to none and down in the third set by seven against LMU, it looked like it was going to be a quick return to the NCAA tournament for Husky Volleyball. But Washington dug down and rallied back to steal set three, then won the fourth to send its first round match at Maples Pavilion to a deciding set five. The Huskies saved four match points with the season on the line, but finally lost in extra points, 17-19, to conclude the 2024 season.
Washington ends the season at 19-12, returning to the NCAA tourney after a one-year hiatus in 2023, but the Dawgs came up just a couple points shy of getting their first tourney win since the 2021 squad made the Sweet 16. Loyola Marymount improved to 25-5 and will take on the winner of No. 2-seed Stanford and Sacramento State on Saturday.
The Huskies came close to pulling off the reverse sweep, as it was just the second time this season that UW rallied to force a fifth after losing the first two sets. LMU won the first two sets, 25-18, 25-20, and the Lions led 19-12 in set three, before the Huskies went on a 10-2 run to take the lead, and they closed out a 25-23 stunner to stay alive. Washington then pulled away for a 25-18 fourth set win.
In the fifth, the Huskies led 8-6 at the side switch, and their last lead came at 9-8, but LMU scored three-straight to put the Huskies down a pair. Washington fought back to tie it at 13-13, but LMU got the sideout to earn the first match point at 13-14. Audra Wilmes saved that with a kill, but a Husky service error gave LMU another chance. Kiune Fletcher tooled the block for 15-all, but LMU answered again as the Dawgs couldn't claw in front. Fletcher saved another match point and then Barton came through to erase a fourth LMU chance and tie it at 17-17.
Still the Dawgs couldn't get a chance of their own, as LMU got a kill for 17-18. On the next rally, Wilmes tipped into the middle of the court and LMU's libero laid out for a pancake dig that the Huskies thought was down. LMU set the dig and finished the point off with a kill, but UW challenged with the season riding on the outcome. The officials ultimately ruled the ball was up, and that would be all she wrote for the Dawgs.
"One thing I've loved about this team is their fight, their grit," said Head Coach Leslie Gabriel. "That was what they showed, and even though we didn't get it in the end, this team went out and competed like they have all year. We didn't start off well, but we finished playing some of our best volleyball and extending some of those rallies, our girls were throwing their bodies around to keep the ball flying. LMU is a good team and they run a fast offense and they pressure your defense, and I thought our girls responded well. We were just a couple points away from it being a different story."
It was the final match for seniors Madi Endsley, Kiune Fletcher, Lauren Bays, and Sophia Tulino, and fourth-year juniors Emoni Bush, Molly Wilson, and Audra Wilmes will make fifth-year decisions based on graduate school plans.
"We're going to miss the senior class. They've done a lot for this program, and to get us back to the tournament was a big deal, and I'll be forever grateful to them. For those that are returning, I'm excited to get back into the gym after Christmas. It was a good year and I really hope the girls can reflect on everything they accomplished in a new conference with new travel and new arenas. It was a fun year with a lot of great moments."
Fletcher was the most efficient attacker all night in her first NCAA tournament match, as she had 13 kills and hit .385 tonight and she added four blocks. Barton had 14 kills and 10 digs plus three blocks. Wilmes and Bush each had a dozen kills. Molly Wilson had 28 assists and Alexis Haury had 21.
Julia Hunt had six kills and six blocks, hitting .308. Bays had one of her best matches in her Husky finale, with 21 digs.
Washington ends the season at 19-12, returning to the NCAA tourney after a one-year hiatus in 2023, but the Dawgs came up just a couple points shy of getting their first tourney win since the 2021 squad made the Sweet 16. Loyola Marymount improved to 25-5 and will take on the winner of No. 2-seed Stanford and Sacramento State on Saturday.
The Huskies came close to pulling off the reverse sweep, as it was just the second time this season that UW rallied to force a fifth after losing the first two sets. LMU won the first two sets, 25-18, 25-20, and the Lions led 19-12 in set three, before the Huskies went on a 10-2 run to take the lead, and they closed out a 25-23 stunner to stay alive. Washington then pulled away for a 25-18 fourth set win.
Amazing grit from the Dawgs has this thing TIED UP!
— Washington Volleyball (@UWVolleyball) December 7, 2024
One set to keep the season going!#PointHuskies x ?? ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/RQmOQ8A5F3
In the fifth, the Huskies led 8-6 at the side switch, and their last lead came at 9-8, but LMU scored three-straight to put the Huskies down a pair. Washington fought back to tie it at 13-13, but LMU got the sideout to earn the first match point at 13-14. Audra Wilmes saved that with a kill, but a Husky service error gave LMU another chance. Kiune Fletcher tooled the block for 15-all, but LMU answered again as the Dawgs couldn't claw in front. Fletcher saved another match point and then Barton came through to erase a fourth LMU chance and tie it at 17-17.
Still the Dawgs couldn't get a chance of their own, as LMU got a kill for 17-18. On the next rally, Wilmes tipped into the middle of the court and LMU's libero laid out for a pancake dig that the Huskies thought was down. LMU set the dig and finished the point off with a kill, but UW challenged with the season riding on the outcome. The officials ultimately ruled the ball was up, and that would be all she wrote for the Dawgs.
"One thing I've loved about this team is their fight, their grit," said Head Coach Leslie Gabriel. "That was what they showed, and even though we didn't get it in the end, this team went out and competed like they have all year. We didn't start off well, but we finished playing some of our best volleyball and extending some of those rallies, our girls were throwing their bodies around to keep the ball flying. LMU is a good team and they run a fast offense and they pressure your defense, and I thought our girls responded well. We were just a couple points away from it being a different story."
It was the final match for seniors Madi Endsley, Kiune Fletcher, Lauren Bays, and Sophia Tulino, and fourth-year juniors Emoni Bush, Molly Wilson, and Audra Wilmes will make fifth-year decisions based on graduate school plans.
"We're going to miss the senior class. They've done a lot for this program, and to get us back to the tournament was a big deal, and I'll be forever grateful to them. For those that are returning, I'm excited to get back into the gym after Christmas. It was a good year and I really hope the girls can reflect on everything they accomplished in a new conference with new travel and new arenas. It was a fun year with a lot of great moments."
Fletcher was the most efficient attacker all night in her first NCAA tournament match, as she had 13 kills and hit .385 tonight and she added four blocks. Barton had 14 kills and 10 digs plus three blocks. Wilmes and Bush each had a dozen kills. Molly Wilson had 28 assists and Alexis Haury had 21.
Julia Hunt had six kills and six blocks, hitting .308. Bays had one of her best matches in her Husky finale, with 21 digs.
Team Stats
UW
LMU
Kills
63
61
Errors
29
22
Attempts
171
153
Hitting %
.199
.255
Points
79.0
83.0
Assists
55
59
Aces
6
5
Blocks
10
17
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
12
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
L
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
OH
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
OH
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballWashington 3, Arizona 0 | Huskies Highlights
Saturday, September 13
20 Year Anniversary of the 2005 Washington Women's Volleyball National Championship
Wednesday, September 10
Washington Volleyball 2025 Big Ten Media Day
Tuesday, July 29
2025 Go BIG! for Washington Day
Friday, February 28
