ST. LOUIS, Mo. – It took a moment, but the No. 9 Washington University in St. Louis volleyball team got things going on all fronts by the third set in a 3-0 sweep of Illinois College on Wednesday evening. The Lady Blues kept things close in the first two sets before WashU pulled away in the third for the win.
The Bears led early in the first set 7-3, but a 6-1 run by Illinois College gave the visitors a one-point lead, 9-8. From that point on for the rest of the set neither team led by more than two points, with both teams trading leads throughout the remainder of the set. The Lady Blues secured the first set point of the match at 24-23. WashU would tie it up at 24-24 before Illinois College had a second set point at 25-24. The Bears used kills from senior Zoe Foster and senior Jasmine Sells to grab their first set point of the match, 26-25. After one more tie, another set of kills by Foster and Sells gave WashU the 28-26 set one win.
The second set looked to be all Bears as they raced out to a 6-1 lead. The Lady Blues would make several runs on WashU through the second set, but they were unable to come any closer than one point on several occasions. The Bears would extend their lead to five three times midway through the end of the set. With WashU ahead 24-20, the teams traded the final four points with a kill by Foster securing the set two win, 25-22, and the match lead, 2-0.
It was much closer at the very start of the third set with WashU holding a 3-2 lead. However, the Bears used a 6-0 and a 7-0 run to put themselves ahead 16-3. A kill and service ace by senior McKenzie Washington along with a block by graduate Lauren McCurley and junior Tori Taylor coupled with a Lady Blue attack error put the Bears up 23-11. A kill by junior Anna Freeman closed out the set 25-13 and the match 3-0.
Foster had the match-high in kills with 12 while junior Sam Buckley dished out the most assists with 36. Senior Elise Gilroy also had a match-high for the Bears with 18 digs with Sells also reaching double-figures with 11.
WashU has an off weekend coming up and will return to the court next Wednesday, October 9 when they host Westminster (Mo.) from the Field House court. First serve with the Bluejays is scheduled for 7 p.m.
