ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The No. 10 Washington University in St. Louis volleyball team made quick work of the visiting Central College Dutch on Saturday afternoon, 3-0. The contest was part of the Bears' Senior Day celebration as WashU honored its five seniors —
Ellie Laird,
Leah Oyewole,
Anaia Montaque-Harrison,
Megan Manaj, and
Naya Ohuabunwa — with a special recognition prior to the match.
After winning the coin flip and selecting to serve, the Bears opened the first set with the first four points of the contest. Trailing 5-2, the Dutch took their first lead of the set on a four-point run, 6-5. The Bears responded when they were down by one, 8-7.
As it has many times this season, the Bears went on an 8-0 run to pull away for a 15-8 lead over Central. The Dutch attempted to climb back into the match, but after Central saved a pair of set points, an attack error gave WashU the 1-0 lead, winning the first set 25-16.
The second set was much closer, with both teams using a multitude of small two- and three-point runs to flip the lead back and forth. Trailing 14-13, the Bears went on a 6-2 run to go up by three, 19-16. WashU pulled away for good with another 3-0 run, including a kill from sophomore
Abby Krause and a service ace from sophomore
Avery Reed, 22-18.
The Dutch would not be able to get any closer as a kill from Krause sealed the set win, 25-20, for the 2-0 match lead.
The teams went back and forth to start the third set, with Central taking a 5-4 lead. After a 4-0 run, the Bears took the lead for good, 8-5. Leading 9-7, WashU used an 8-0 run to go up by 10, 17-7, capped by a kill from first-year
Emma McGough.
Despite getting a three-point run of their own to cut the lead down to seven, Central could not get any closer as a Dutch service error and a pair of attack errors allowed WashU to take the third set, 25-14.
Both Oyewole and Krause finished with double-digit kills in the three sets. Oyewole had 14 kills on a .429 attack percentage. Krause finished with 12 kills and a .379 attack percentage. She finished with a double-double as she added 11 digs in the win.
First-year
Anya Mikhailenko had 36 assists on the Bears' 45 kills. Laird scooped up 28 digs to lead all players, as nine different WashU players saved the ball off an attack.
The Bears finished the match with the lead in kills (45-32), blocks (8-2), assists (39-27), and digs (63-49).
WashU is on the road next week as it pays a visit to Westminster College (Mo.) on Wednesday, Oct. 7. First serve with the Bluejays is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Fulton, Mo.
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Elevating scholar-champions requires resources beyond the institutional budget. Through the W Club, generous alumni, parents, and friends provide unrestricted support that is essential to the extraordinary WashU student-athlete experience—and the ongoing growth and development of the department. Annual support for Athletics allows the Bears to consistently rise to national levels of competition and ensures that our student-athletes enjoy exceptional opportunities as they train, compete, and lead. To make a gift to the Annual Fund for Athletics, please visit our secure online giving form or contact the Athletics Advancement Office at athletics@wustl.edu.
