Washington University in St. Louis

ATLANTA, Ga. - The No. 9 Washington University in St. Louis volleyball team wrapped up the two-day University Athletic Association Championships by taking on fourth-seeded Carnegie Mellon University in the fifth-place match, Saturday, November 11. After winning the first set, CMU then took the next three to defeat the Bears in four sets (19-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-14). With the loss, WashU's record sits at 23-9. 

 

Junior Jasmine Sells and sophomore Sam Buckley both recorded double-double performances. 

 

Sells landed her 21st double-double of the year with 13 digs and 11 kills, while Buckley notched her 17th double-double of the season with a match-high 34 assists and a team-high 15 digs. 

 

Senior Lily Steinbach topped double-digits with 10 kills, while first-year Leah Oyewole was credited with nine kills. 

 

With the score even at 5-5 in the first set, WashU welcomed a five-point run to grab the early, 10-5, lead. The run featured two kills from Steinbach, a Sells kill, and a first-year Ellie Laird service ace. WashU then recorded a four-point run to double up the Tartans, 16-8. After a small CMU run, junior Zoe Foster dialed up a kill to put the Bears in front by six, 17-11. Steinbach and junior Lucy Davis teamed up for a rejection to give WashU the comfortable, 23-16, advantage. With WashU at set point, the Tartans missed a serve to give the Bears the first set victory, 25-19. 

 

In the second set, senior Alden Standley registered a service ace to break the 7-7 tie and to put WashU in front by one, 8-7. Later in the set, CMU assembled a three-point run to stake the five-point, 16-11, advantage.  

 

The Bears then turned in a three-point run of their own as CMU signaled for a timeout. The run saw kills by Foster and Oyewole, along with a Buckley ace to trim the deficit to a pair, 16-14. However, the stoppage in play did little to slow down Buckley as she stepped up to the service line and deposited her second straight ace to cut the deficit to one, 16-15. The Tartans regained the momentum after a four-point swing to warrant a WashU timeout. After the CMU run, the Tartans held the five-point, 20-15, lead.  

 

A Davis kill, followed by a Tartan attack error put the score at 23-19, in favor of CMU. After a Carnegie Mellon timeout, back-to-back kills from Steinbach and Davis landed the score at 23-21. The WashU comeback efforts fell short as CMU took the second set by a score of 25-21. 

 

Carnegie Mellon took the quick 7-2 lead in the third set as head coach Vanessa Walby signaled for a timeout. WashU utilized a four-point rally to put CMU's lead at three, 16-13. Later in the set, back-to-back kills by Sells and Oyewole put the score at 20-19, in favor of CMU. However, the early deficit proved too much to overcome as the Tartans took the third, 25-19. 

 

The first half of the fourth set saw back-and-forth action as the score stood even at 9-9. CMU then recorded the next three tallies to stake the three-point, 12-9, lead as WashU called a timeout. The Tartans went on a six-point run to generate the seven-point, 18-11, advantage. Carnegie Mellon ended the match on a four-point rally to upend the Bears in four, as CMU won the fourth by a final of 25-14. 

 

WashU will now turn their attention to the NCAA Division III Selection Show, Monday, November 13. The selection show will begin at 12 p.m. and can be accessed on ncca.com.