DUBUQUE, Iowa – The No. 14 Washington University in St. Louis volleyball team completed its weekend at the Loras Tournament with a perfect 4-0 record after picking up wins over St. Norbert (3-1) and Wisconsin Lutheran (3-0). The wins improves the Bears record to 9-2 overall.
WashU 3, St. Norbert 1
The Green Knights would begin them match by making preventing the Bears from taking a lead in the first set. WashU kept it close early on in the set, eventually tying the score up at 9-9. But SNC went on a 5-0 run to take a large enough lead that prevent the Bears from using any run to catch up as the Green Knights took the set 25-21.
Unlike the opening set, the Bears would trade points early, keeping up with SNC, trailing just one at 13-12. A quick 4-0 stretch by WashU, including kills by sophomore Leah Oyewole and graduate Lily Steinbach, allowed the Bears to take control of the set, never giving up control with a kill by Oyewole to close it out 25-20, tying the match up at one set apiece.
WashU had several small leads in the early portion of the third set as the Green Knights trailed by just one at 13-12. A 7-1 run by the Bears was kick started by senior Zoe Foster and finished by a kill from senior Lucy Davis as WashU put itself ahead 20-13. What has happened several times this season the Bears claimed the final three points of a set with a kill and block by Steinbach and a kill by graduate Jasmine Sells for the 25-15 set three win.
SNC jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the fourth set with WashU catching up and tying the score at 8-8. A pair of 3-0 runs and a 5-0 run by the Bears midway through put WashU up 21-15 before a block by Foster closed out the set 25-19 and the match 3-1.
Oyewole tallied the match-high 14 kills to lead three Bears in double figures with Steinbach (12) and Davis (10) also reached double-digits.
Junior Sam Buckley recorded her second double-double of the season with the match-high 42 assists along with 12 digs. Sells finished the match with a high of 21 digs.
WashU 3, Wisconsin Lutheran 0
For the second time on the day, it seemed like WashU might drop its opening set. However, the Bears learned quickly and completed the sweep of the Warriors, 3-0.
WLC would trail until the middle of the first set and take its first lead as part of a 4-0 run giving themselves the 15-13 lead. Not giving up, the Bears would pull ahead again 22-19 and hold that until the Warriors earned the first set point 24-23. That, however, was their last point as WashU claimed the next three points and the first set 26-24.
The Bears trailed just one point in the second set, the very first point, before they went ahead 4-1, never looking back. WashU led the Warriors by as many as 11 points later through the set at 21-10. The teams would trade points from there the rest of the way but the Bears were too far out in front and took a 2-0 match lead with the 25-15 set two win.
Once again WLC took the first point of third set, but it was a long time before they would score again. WashU claimed the next 15 points in a row and closed out the set and match on a 5-1 run kills from junior Anna Freeman and senior Laura Brambilla to close out the 25-7 set win and match 3-0.
Nine different Bears recorded at least two kills, led by Sells, Davis, and Oyewole with seven kills each.
Buckley finished the day with back-to-back double-doubles as she had the match-high in both assists (28) and digs (16). Sells (12) and senior Elise Gilroy (10) also reached double-figure digs.
WashU is back home next weekend, hosting the 2024 Bear Invite. The Bears open with a Friday evening match against No. 12 Gustavus Adolphus at 6:30 p.m. The next day WashU takes on the University of La Verne at 10:30 a.m. before facing No. 21 Cornell College at 1 p.m. All of the Bears' matches will take place in the Varsity Gym.
