ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The No. 14 Washington University in St. Louis volleyball team traveled a few blocks down the road for a mid-week contest with the Griffins of Fontbonne on Wednesday evening. The Bears made quick work of the hosts with a 3-0 sweep to improve to 5-2 on the season.
WashU jumped out to a quick 8-2 to start the first set. The two teams traded points back and forth before a 4-0 run, started by a Griffin hitting error and capped by a kill by senior Jasmine Sells, gave the Bears a 14-6 run. Fontbonne would pull within five points on one occasion, but it was not enough as a kill by senior Zoe Foster from junior Sam Buckley allowed WashU to take 1-0 set lead with a 25-17 set win.
The beginning of the second set was a point-for-point between the two neighboring institutions before turning into a set of runs. A 5-1 run by the Bears pushed their lead to 10-4 before Fontbonne went on their own 5-1 run to pull within two at 11-9. WashU led by as many as four points later in the set, 21-17, before another Griffin 5-1 run tied the score up at 22-22. A kill by senior McKenzie Washington, a block assist from junior Eva Boling and graduate Isabella Lipacis, followed by a setting error by the Griffins closed out the set in favor of the Bears 25-22, giving the visitors a 2-0 match lead.
Much like the second set, the third saw the two teams vie for the early lead before stretches of small runs by both saw WashU with a 19-18 lead. A quick stretch saw the Bears lead by three before the Griffins once again tied it up at 22-22. This time it was another pair of Fontbonne hitting errors and a block by Washington and sophomore Megan Manaj that give WashU the 25-22 set three win and the sweep of the host Griffins, 3-0.
Washington had the team-high in kills with nine with Lipacis next on the team with six. Buckley led all players on the night with 33 assists while Manaj finished with the match-high four blocks.
The Bears led Fontbonne in digs, 55-52, with Lipacis leading with nine.
WashU returns to the road this weekend when they travel to Dubuque, Iowa for the Loras Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The Bears start off with Wisconsin-River Falls on Friday at 5 p.m. before taking on the host Duhawks at 7 p.m. Saturday sees WashU take on St. Norbert at 10 a.m. before wrapping up action with a 2 p.m. match against Wisconsin Lutheran.
