CLEVELAND, Ohio – The No. 12 Washington University in St. Louis volleyball team traveled to Case Western Reserve University to kick off University Athletic Association action, Saturday, Sept. 23. WashU swept CWRU (25-23, 25-23, 25-23) and Brandeis University (25-20, 25-17, 25-20) to race out to a 2-0 UAA record. With the pair of victories, the Bears' record now stands at 10-4. 
 

The No. 12 Bears secured statistical advantages in kills (54-42) and assists (52-42), while CWRU saw advantages in aces (3-2), blocks (6-4), and digs (52-50).  
 

Junior Jasmine Sells recorded her team-high ninth double-double of the season with 14 kills and 10 digs. 
 

Senior Lily Steinbach notched a team-high 14 kills in the sweep, while Junior Lucy Davis added 10 kills. 
 

Sophomore Sam Buckley welcomed a match-high 45 assists.  
 

Junior Elise Gilroy and first-year Ellie Laird garnered 13 and 12 assists, respectively. 
 

Early in the opening set, a Sells kill gave the Bears an 8-6 advantage. After an attack error from the Spartans, CWRU utilized their first timeout trailing 9-6. Later in the set, a three-point Spartan run gave the home team the 14-12 lead. After the run, head coach Vanessa Walby used her first timeout.  
 

Walby's timeout worked to perfection as the Bears flipped the script to grab the 18-16 cushion. The lead was manufactured with a timely four-point run. The run featured a kill by Davis, a CWRU attack error, and kills from junior Zoe Foster and Sells. With a lead in hand, WashU never relinquished the advantage. With the Bears in front by a score of 24-23, Davis deposited the set-ending kill as WashU won the first, 25-23. 
 

In the second, a six-point run gave the Bears a 12-6 cushion. In the run, Davis notched back-to-back kills and WashU was on the receiving end of four CWRU attack errors. With WashU in front by a tally of 22-16, the Spartans rallied for a five-point run to cut the deficit to one, 22-21. However, back-to-back Foster kills put the Bears at set point, 24-21. In the end, Sells powered the Bears to close second set victory, 25-23, with her set-ending kill. 
 

Looking for a sweep, the Bears found themselves in a back-and-forth start to the third. A Sells kill tied the set at 11-11. After the kill, CWRU went on a four-point run to grab the lead, 15-11. With the Spartans clinging to a two-point cushion, 20-18, WashU assembled a timely three-point run to sneak out in front by a score of 21-20. Steinbach solidified the run with a pair of kills. WashU and CWRU were later knotted at 23-23. Kills from first-year Leah Oyewole and Davis pushed the Bears past the Spartans, 25-23. 
 

In the night cap, the Bears earned statistical advantages in kills (43-25), assists (34-23), and digs (53-38). The Bear defensive unite held the Judges to a .053 attack percentage. 
 

Sells welcomed her team-leading 10th double-double. Sells tallied team-highs of 10 kills and 15 digs. 
 

Steinbach and Davis recorded nine and eight digs, respectively.  
 

Buckley assembled a match-high 27 assists in the three-set sweep. 
 

Gilroy was credited with 13 digs, while Buckley notched seven. 
 

With WashU trailing by a score of 15-10 in the first, the Bears went on a four-point run to trim the deficit to just one, 15-14. WashU tied the set at 17-17 on back-to-back Brandeis attack errors. Later in the frame, clinging to a one-point cushion, 21-20, WashU finished the set with another four-point rally to grab set one, 25-20. The run saw a senior Alden Standley kill, a Sells kill, and two Brandeis errors. 
 

The second set saw some back-and-forth play. With WashU up one, 14-13, the Bears mounted a monumental six-point run to secure the 20-13 advantage. WashU recorded four kills in the timely run. The Bears ended the second on Standley service ace by a score of 25-17. 
 

Looking for their second sweep of the day, the Judges raced out to the quick 8-5 lead in the third. However, a four-point Bear rally gave WashU a slim, 9-8, lead. With the score even at 14-14, Steinbach dialed up a kill to push the Bears ahead by one, 15-14. Later in the frame, WashU welcomed a six-point run which produced a sizeable, 23-16, advantage. With the Bears at match point, Steinbach recorded a kill to give WashU their second sweep, 25-20. 
 

The Bears will remain in Cleveland to complete the UAA Round Robin #1, tomorrow, Sept. 24. WashU will tangle with No. 10 New York University before making the return trip back to St. Louis. First serve is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET.