WALTHAM, Mass. - The No. 12 Washington University in St. Louis volleyball team traveled east to tackle the University Athletic Association Round Robin #3, Sunday, October 22. In the first match of the day, the Bears defeated University of Rochester in four (25-20, 25-19, 25-27, 25-16). In a top-12 nightcap, WashU took No. 5 Emory University to five (23-25, 25-15, 25-14, 22-25, 15-12), but could not complete the round robin sweep.
Following today's action, WashU's record now stands at 18-7 (5-2 UAA).
Head coach
Vanessa Walby is now one win shy of reaching her 400th career victory (163 at Chicago and 236 at WashU).
No. 12 WashU 3, Rochester 1
Behind doubles-doubles from junior
Jasmine Sells and sophomore
Sam Buckley, WashU took down Rochester in four to begin the round robin.
Sells notched her team-leading 17th double-double of the season in the victory. Sells recorded 12 kills and 12 digs.
Buckley garnered her 13th double-double of the year. Buckley registered a match-high 41 assists and completed her double-double with 11 digs.
Defensively, first year
Ellie Laird welcomed a career-high 18 digs as she surpassed her previous career-high of 15. Laird's 18 digs were also a match-high. Additionally, junior
Elise Gilroy added 15 digs in the victory.
WashU held the statistical advantages in kills (49-42), assists (47-36), digs (73-56), and attack percentage (.235-.101).
In the opening set, the Bears doubled up the Yellowjackets, 12-6. The cushion was garnered on a four-point run that saw two Rochester miscues and kills by Sells and senior
Lily Steinbach. Later in the frame, a Washington kill pushed the advantage to 17-11. However, three straight points from the Yellowjackets trimmed the lead to three, 17-14, as head coach
Vanessa Walby signaled for a timeout.
After the pause in action, the Bears tallied the next three points to push their lead to five, 21-16. The run was highlighted by a thunderous Sells kill. Off of the serve, Sells took advantage of an overpass and landed her kill in front of the 10-foot line. With WashU out in front, 22-17, Rochester took their second timeout of the set. First year
Leah Oyewole welcomed the set ending kill as Oyewole tooled a kill off of the Yellowjackets block attempt. The Bears took the opening frame by a final score of 25-20.
An early four-point run in the second gave WashU a commanding, 8-3, advantage which warranted a Rochester timeout. The run saw two Yellowjacket errors and kills from Washington and Steinbach. Buckley and Sells then produced back-to-back kills to push the lead to 12-7. Rochester cut the deficit to 17-15 later in the set. With a one-point, 19-18 advantage, WashU called a timeout.
The timeout worked to perfection as the Bears registered the next point on a Foster kill. A Yellowjacket attack error, followed by another Foster kill pushed the WashU advantage to four, 22-18. With the Bears at set point, 24-19, the ensuing Yellowjacket attack attempt went long to give the Bears the second set victory, 25-19.
Rochester took the slim, 5-3, lead in the third. WashU then rattled off the next three points to grab the 6-5 advantage. The small run featured kills from Washington and Sells. The middle of the set saw back-and-forth action as Rochester claimed the three-point, 14-11, lead. After a Yellowjacket ace, Rochester took the five-point, 17-12, cushion. The Bears then recorded five-of-the-next-six points to trim the deficit to one, 18-17, as Rochester signaled for a timeout.
Following the timeout, Foster and Sells teamed up and notched a rejection to even the set at 18-18. A Rochester attack error gave WashU their first lead of the set, 21-20, since the 6-5 mark. With both programs trading points late in the set, the score was knotted at 22-22. A timely Washington kill and a Yellowjacket miscue pushed the Bears to match point, 24-22. However, Rochester earned the next three points to take the lead, 25-24. The Yellowjackets took the third set by a final score of 27-25.
The Bears welcomed the quick, 8-1, cushion to begin the fourth set. The first eight points featured kills from three different Bears and saw three Rochester attack errors, one block, and one ace. The Yellowjackets responded and trimmed their deficit to three, 10-7. WashU regained its momentum and doubled up Rochester, 18-9. In WashU's eight points, Sells landed three kills and Foster followed with a pair of her own.
WashU rattled off the final three points and defeated the Yellowjackets in four, with a fourth set final score of 25-16. The Bears' defense produced two key blocks in the final points to secure the UAA victory.
No. 12 WashU 2, No. 5 Emory 3
Sells recorded her team-leading 18th double-double of the season in the nightcap. Sells earned a team-high 15 kills and completed her double-double with 12 digs.
Washington welcomed 11 kills, while Oyewole added nine.
Buckley notched a match-high 41 assists.
On the defensive side of the ball, Gilroy corralled a team-high 17 digs.
Emory held the statistical advantages in kills (73-48), aces (11-8), blocks (8-4), and assists (66-45).
The first set saw early back-and-forth action as the score stood even at 7-7. WashU then recorded three straight tallies to grab the 10-7 lead. The small run featured a Foster kill, an Emory miscue, and a Sells service ace. The Eagles fought back to tie the score at 14-14 on back-to-back kills. With the score knotted at 16, Emory earned the next two points to warrant a WashU timeout with the Eagles out in front, 18-16.
After the timeout and a point from the Eagles, the Bears registered a three-point run to cut their deficit to just one, 20-19. During the run, Foster and Oyewole each garnered a kill and Foster deposited an ace. Later in the frame, EU took the 23-20 lead. Following another WashU timeout, the Bears welcomed another three-point run to even the score at 23 all as Emory called a timeout. The timely run featured a pair of Sells kills and a Washington kill.
Following the Emory pause in action, Laird stepped up to the service line and dialed up an ace that dropped in front of the Eagle backrow to put the Bears at set point. The ensuing rally ended on an EU attack error as WashU came back from a late deficit to secure the opening set, 25-23.
The second set saw a 6-6 tie. WashU was on the receiving end of two Emory errors and Foster deposited a kill as the Bears took the three-point, 9-6, lead. However, the Eagles then assembled a seven-point run to grab the 13-9 advantage. After a three-point Bear run, EU went on a four-point run to secure the 17-12 cushion as WashU called a timeout. The Bears could not erase the deficit as Emory took the second set, 25-15.
In the third set, Emory raced out to the quick 9-4 cushion. A three-point Eagle run pushed their advantage to seven, 14-7. Later in the frame, EU held a comfortable, 21-14 lead. The early deficit proved too much to overcome as Emory grabbed the third set by a final score of 25-14.
The fourth set saw early back-and-forth play with no team creating more than a two-point lead. WashU held the slim, 9-8 advantage on a Oyewole kill. With the fourth set progressing, the frame stood even at 14-14. With Emory up by two, 17-15, WashU welcomed two straight points to knot the fourth at 17-17 as EU took a timeout. The Bears were on the receiving end of an Eagle service error and then Sells notched an ace.
WashU took the one-point, 19-18 lead on a kill by Oyewole. The Eagles then produced back-to-back kills to generate the 20-19 advantage as the Bears called timeout. After the timeout, two Eagle service errors and a Sells ace gave the Bears a 22-19 lead. With the score at 23-22, in favor of WashU, a senior
Paris Nix kill, followed by a Nix rejection pushed the Bears to the fourth set victory. WashU won the fourth by a final score of 25-22 to extend the match to a fifth and decisive set.
In the fifth, Emory took the early 6-4 advantage. The Eagles then pushed their lead to five, 10-5. The Bears were able to fend off two match points, but Emory took the fifth set by a score of 15-12.
WashU will complete their 2023 home slate with a match against Webster University, Thursday, October 26. The match will serve as faculty/staff appreciation day. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside of the Field House.
