ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The No. 14 Washington University in St. Louis volleyball team opened up the 2026 season in style with a 3-0 sweep of Wheaton on Friday evening as part of the Bear Invite hosted by WashU.
The Bears set the tone for the match by claiming the first four points of the first set before extending that lead to 12-4 not long after. The Thunder made an attempt to insert themselves into the match by going on a 7-1 run to pull back within just two points at 13-11.
They would not get any closer than two points the rest of the way as the WashU defense kept Wheaton at bay. Leading 23-20, WashU got a kill from sophomore
Abby Krause, off the assist from sophomore
Isabel Campie, to put WashU within one. Two points later, a Thunder attack error gave WashU the 1-0 match lead.
It was more of the same for WashU to start the second set as Wheaton took a quick 5-0 lead to start, forcing a WashU timeout. Out of the quick chat with head coach
Vanessa Walby, the Bears went on an 8-1 run to take the lead by two, 8-6. In a back-and-forth set, WashU continued to increase its lead and saw it extend to eight at 21-13.
After a Thunder kill, the Bears used kills from senior
Leah Oyewole and first-years
Saoirse Henderson and
Anya Mikhailenko, along with another Wheaton attack error, to cap the set, 25-14.
The third set was much more evenly played as the teams traded quick runs and small leads throughout the set.
With the Thunder leading 20-19, WashU went on the largest run of the set with five straight points to secure its first match point. After a Wheaton kill, a service error closed out the set and match, with the Bears opening the season 3-0.
As a team, WashU had the advantage in kills (39-32), aces (4-0), blocks (11-4), assists (37-29), and digs (38-33).
Oyewole and Krause led the Bears on the offensive side with a match-high 10 kills each. Sophomore
Nia Jones controlled the net with seven blocks on the night.
Senior
Ellie Laird scooped up the match-high in digs with 14, while Campie dished out 18 assists.
WashU continues play in the Bear Invite on Saturday, Sept. 5, when they take on (RV) St. Olaf at 3 p.m. inside the Field House.
-------
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.
