Huskies Get Season-Opening Victory Over Bobcats

Friday, August 30

Bozeman, MT

6:00 PM

University of Washington

1-0,0-0Big Ten

Montana State

0-1,0-0Big Sky

Washington

Montana St.

August 30, 2024 | Volleyball

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By: UW Athletic Communications

BOZEMAN, Mont. – With five players making their Husky debuts, Washington Volleyball posted a season-opening four set victory in a crowded Shroyer Gymnasium over the host Montana State Bobcats tonight. The Huskies (1-0) knocked off one of the favorites for the Big Sky title, winning 25-20, 25-27, 25-20, 25-20 in front of 1,232 fans.

Senior Kiune Fletcher, junior Zoria Heard, redshirt freshman Brooke Huard, and true freshmen Julia Hunt and Alexis Haury all made their U-Dub debuts tonight, with Fletcher, Hunt, and Haury all in the starting lineup.

Fletcher shared the team lead in kills with senior Madi Endsley as both finished with 16, each hitting over .300. Haury split time at setter with Molly Wilson, and Haury finished with 30 assists and 10 digs for a double-double in her debut. The last Husky freshman setter to do that was four-time All-American Ella May Powell in 2018.

Hunt added three kills and tied for the team lead with five blocks in her debut in the middle, and Heard notched seven digs and two aces with eight serve-receptions and three assists. Huard made her debut in the second set.

Kierstyn Barton added 15 kills on a .294 percentage and Emoni Bush hit .316 with nine kills in her first match action since 2022. Molly Wilson had 17 assists and Lauren Bays anchored the defense with 16 digs. Katy Wessels served the first three aces of her career in a key set four run as the Dawgs pulled away to seal the win.

.@UWVolleyball starting the season off with a DUB!!#GoHuskies x #PointHuskies pic.twitter.com/EwPXLbYumf
— Washington Athletics (@UWAthletics) August 31, 2024

"I was really proud of the girls," said Head Coach Leslie Gabriel. "They've been working really hard throughout the preseason, and I told them they were ready to bring that energy and impose their will on another team and they were able to do that. I'm proud of how steady they stayed tonight. We had 56 digs tonight and outdug a good Montana State team, and defense has been a big thing we need to be better at this year."

Set One: The first point of the season was put away from the freshman connection as Haury set Hunt for the kill. A couple Barton kills and a Molly Wilson ace made it 6-3 Dawgs. Emoni Bush's first kill in two years and a Barton ace made it 8-4. A block from Fletcher and Hunt pushed it to 12-6 and forced the first Bobcats timeout as the Huskies were hitting .636 through the first 18 points. Montana State got within two, but UW extended back out to a six point lead again at 19-13 with a couple Barton kills and an ace from Wilson. Montana State got within three but Heard assisted a Fletcher put-away for 23-18, then Barton killed a Haury set for set point at 24-19, and Fletcher finished again to end it, 25-20.

Washington finished the first frame with a .375 attack percentage and a 3-0 edge in aces. Barton and Fletcher had five kills each and Bays tallied six digs.

Set Two: Zoria Heard's first ace as a Dawg started set two. Two kills from Emoni Bush made it 6-4 Dawgs, but Montana State pushed ahead 11-9 to force UW's first timeout. Out of the break, Haury laid out to save a second contact and the ensuing Bobcat swing was rejected by Endsley. Barton tied it up at 12 with a transition kill dished by Haury. Endsley evened it again at 16-all with her fifth kill. A Fletcher kill and an MSU error made it 18-16, Dawgs, and the Bobcats took time. Coach Gabriel won a key challenge reversal to get Fletcher another kill and make it 21-18. Barton ended a marathon rally with a crosscourt bomb to force MSU's last timeout at 23-21. But MSU tied it at 23 and forced UW's final timeout. A huge Wessels stuff saved an MSU set point and Endsley put one down to save another for 25-all, but MSU got the sideout and a Husky error to grab the set, 27-25, and tie it up.

Set Three: Washington responded with a 5-0 run from the gun in the third set to force an MSU timeout. The Huskies couldn't maintain the push and the Bobcats came back to go back on top by two. Bush and Wessels stuffed two in a row to get back on top, 11-10. A 3-0 run on another Bush-Wessels block and an Endsley kill pushed it to 15-12 Dawgs. A Fletcher kill and a tape ace for Heard made it 19-14 and forced the last Bobcat timeout. Fletcher dropped one over the block and Barton put down an overpass to hold the lead at 22-16. Endsley had a rip up the left sideline for set point at 24-17. MSU saved three but then missed serve to end it, 25-20.

Washington held Montana State to just five kills in the third, with five errors for a .000 attack percentage. Endsley and Fletcher combined for 11 kills and just three errors in the set.

Set Four: UW found itself in a 1-5 hole to start the fourth. The deficit grew to 3-9 forcing UW's first timeout. In need of a spark, Barton hammered from the right side for the sideout, and UW turned that into a 6-1 run to pull back within a point at 9-10 and force an MSU timeout. UW got even at 10-all on the first ace of Katy Wessels' career, but MSU countered with a 3-0 run back. The teams traded sideouts with UW pulling within a point again multiple times. The Dawgs tied it again at 19-all on Wessels' second career ace. Another challenge reversal win for Coach Gabriel got the Dawgs the 20-19 lead and then Bush converted a transition kill for 21-19 and MSU took time. Out of the break, Endsley and Hunt had a huge block to keep Wessels' serve run going. Wessels then dropped another serve right on the back line for a third ace for 23-19 before MSU finally snapped the 6-0 Husky run. Bush countered with a tool off the block to reach match point at 24-20. On the first chance, Fletcher went up on the right pin and rejected the MSU swing to cap it, 25-20.

Overall it was an 8-1 Husky run to close things out. Wessels' three aces, a 12-9 edge in kills and a 10-5 digs advantage in the set helped make the difference. Barton had four kills and Bush and Endsley had three each.

Up Next: Washington will be back at it tomorrow afternoon in Shroyer Gymnasium, facing Middle Tennessee in their first neutral site match of the year. First serve is 2:30 p.m. Pacific time but no live stream will be available.