ST. LOUIS, Mo. – In its lone match of the week, the No. 8 Washington University in St. Louis volleyball team dispatched cross-town opponent Webster, 3-1, on Thursday night at the Field House.
With the win, the Bears improved to 15-3 overall.
WashU jumped out early with the first four points of the first set. The Gorloks would try to go back and forth, but with the Bears leading 10-5, a 10-1 run, capped by a kill from senior
Anaia Montaque-Harrison, put the first set out of reach at 20-6.
A kill from first-year
Saoirse Henderson gave WashU its first set point at 24-8, but a kill from junior
Emma Quast on the second set point would put the Bears ahead 1-0 with a 25-9 first-set win.
Webster would play even in the early goings of the second set, holding a 4-2 and 5-3 lead. Trailing 6-5, WashU scored the next seven points unanswered to double up the Gorloks, 12-6. Still with its six-point lead at 15-9, WashU used another 7-0 run to take a 22-9 set lead.
The teams traded two-point runs, with the Gorloks saving two set points, but a block from first-year
Emma McGough would seal the set, 25-13, as WashU took a 2-0 match lead.
The third set was much more of a back-and-forth affair, with the lead changing hands multiple times. When it seemed WashU would begin to close out the match, taking a 21-18 lead late, Webster answered with a 3-1 run and, after WashU picked up a match point at 24-22, the Gorloks scored five unanswered to claim the third set, 26-24, as the Bears still led the match 2-1.
Seemingly carrying the momentum they had at the end of the third, Webster would take a 4-2 lead to start the fourth. Once again, any small run was immediately answered by the other team as the Gorloks led, 10-9. The Bears would then use a pair of 4-0 runs to not only regain the lead, but extend it to five, 17-12.
The teams went back to point-for-point over the next seven points before a third 4-0 run by WashU gave them a match point. Webster would save two, but a kill from senior
Leah Oyewole closed out the set, 25-18, and the match, 3-1.
Oyewole led all players with 16 kills on a .448 attack percentage, playing just three sets. McGough also reached double figures in kills with 11 on a .389 attack percentage.
First-year
Anya Mikhailenko dished out 43 assists in the win while recording 10 digs to record her 12th double-double of the season. Senior
Ellie Laird led all players with 16 digs in the match. Henderson was the force at the net with eight blocks to go along with her six kills.
As a team, the Bears led in kills (51-32), service aces (13-3), blocks (10-5), assists (46-31), and digs (54-50).
WashU is off this weekend before hosting Greenville on Wednesday, Oct. 21. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Field House. It is also serving as the team's The Hidden Opponent (THO) contest.
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