ST. LOUIS, Mo. – In their preparations for the final UAA weekend of the season, the No. 6 Washington University in St. Louis volleyball team hosted a midweek contest against Greenville on Wednesday evening. Even with the Panthers taking the second set, WashU overpowered the visitors for a 3-1 win inside the Field House.
With the win, the Bears improve to 16-3 overall.
WashU got off to a hot start, using a pair of 3-0 runs to take an early 8-3 lead. Leading 9-6, the Bears got another 4-0 run after a timeout, capped by a block from first-years
Anya Mikhailenko and
Saoirse Henderson, to take a seven-point lead. Growing it to as many as eight midway through, 17-9, WashU would keep their distance ahead of Greenville.
After a pair of points by the Panthers, WashU finished off the first set with the final four points off a setting error by Greenville, 25-14.
Despite the Panthers taking an early lead, 5-3, WashU didn't give up in the second set and went on a 6-0 run to jump ahead 9-5. Greenville would tie it up three more times in the middle of the set, including 18-18. With the Bears leading 23-19, the Panthers got on a run, scoring six unanswered to win the set, 25-23, and tie the match at a set apiece.
Greenville would carry some of the momentum into the third set, leading 7-5 early. However, WashU answered once again with a 5-0 run to retake the lead, 10-7. A small run by the visitors would see them take a 13-12 lead. The two teams then traded points, with the score knotted up at 15-15.
An 8-2 run by the Bears would see them not only retake the lead in the set, but put themselves within two points of retaking the lead in the match. A kill by first-year
Emma McGough and another by Henderson would close out the set, 25-18, and give WashU the match lead, 2-1.
Like the previous two sets, Greenville scored early, 3-1, but the Bears responded in a big way with a 10-1 run, regaining the lead they would not give up. The next six points would go back and forth between the teams before a quick 4-0 run by WashU put them up 17-8.
The rest of the way saw the Bears score two points, and after Greenville scored one, WashU scored two more. A kill from Mikhailenko and a block by McGough and Mikhailenko finished off the Panthers 25-14 and the match 3-1.
Senior
Leah Oyewole led all players with 17 kills on a .500 attack percentage. McGough also reached double-digit kills with 10. Sophomore
Isabel Campie had the match high in digs with 19, while senior
Ellie Laird was right behind her with 18.
Mikhailenko recorded her 13th double-double of the season and third in a row with 42 assists and 12 digs. McGough was also a force at the net with a team-high six blocks, while senior
Naya Ohuabunwa finished with five blocks.
As a team, the Bears led in kills (58-38), total blocks (12-4), assists (50-35), and digs (64-52).
WashU is home this Sunday, Oct. 25, when they host the UAA Round Robin #3. The Bears open with Rochester at 10 a.m. before taking on UAA-leading No. 5 Carnegie Mellon at 2 p.m. The matches will also serve as the team's Youth & Campers Appreciation games.
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