University of Washington
Stanford
Nailbiter Goes To No. 2 Stanford In Four
November 13, 2010 | Volleyball
Nov. 13, 2010
SEATTLE - Once again the 11th-ranked Husky volleyball team went toe-to-toe with one of the nation's best, and thrilled a home crowd of over 4,000, but the Dawgs were unable to close out second-ranked Stanford despite a number of late chances, and the Cardinal pulled out a 21-25, 26-24, 25-22, 26-24 victory. Washington (18-7, 7-7 Pac-10) had a pair of set points in the fourth to force a decisive fifth set but was frustrated again but left knowing it is close. All told in four sets, the Cardinal won just three more total points than UW.
"We were better than last night, there's no doubt. We hung in there, and if this team can keep hanging in there, we can learn this lesson and get over the hump before the tournament," said head coach Jim McLaughlin. "But it's hard, you've got to hang in there and go through this stuff. You have to persevere and be tough, keep grinding and make breakthroughs. We can fix it, we're close."
Senior All-American setter Jenna Hagglund hit a major milestone in the second set, as she clicked over 5,000 career assists, becoming just the 10th setter in Pac-10 history to reach the number. She had 54 on the night to go with 14 digs as the Huskies had a season-high 80 with five players in double figures, led by 23 from Jenna Orlandini. Kindra Carlson had 20 kills to lead UW, Becky Perry added 15, and Bianca Rowland hit .435 with 11 kills. UW had five blocks to just three for Stanford, and had more aces (6-5) and less service errors (12-8), but the Cardinal had four-point runs to close out both the third and fourth sets.
The Cardinal missed wide on the first point of the match, and Carlson got the first kill of the night for UW on the right side to make it 2-all. Hagglund took a pass close to the net and flipped it back for her first kill to tie it again at four. Stanford got an ace off the top of the net for an 8-5 lead but UW answered with an 3-0 run on Perry's first kill followed by a Stanford error and an ace by Hagglund off Stanford's libero. The Dawgs had another three-point surge to tie it up at 14-all capped off by a Perry slam on an overpass. UW then turned up the defense on a long rally and Rowland finished with a huge kill for a 15-14 lead, UW's first since 1-0. A Carlson left side swing went off the defense and long and a Cardinal miscue resulted in a 19-17 lead and a Stanford timeout. UW then picked a great time for its first block of the night, as Carlson and Barfield gave UW its biggest lead with a stuff. On the next rally, Carlson saved an overpass with a quick flip that dropped in for a kill and Stanford needed timeout again. Carlson took a much bigger swing to kill the next rally, and Perry capped a great serving run with an ace for a 23-17 lead in what was a 6-0 UW burst. The Cardinal battled back, however with a 3-0 run to force UW's first timeout. Hagglund went right to Carlson on the right side on the next rally and the senior pounded her seventh kill of the set, and then Kylin Muñoz found the angle on set point for the 25-21 victory. UW outhit the Cardinal, .300-.211 in the first set, led by Carlson's seven kills.
The teams traded sideouts to start the second set, until a perfectly placed Kelcey Dunaway serve landed right inside the sideline for a 4-2 UW lead. Stanford came back to tie at five but Carlson sent one down and Kelly Holford floated down an ace for another two-point cushion. Perry hit one off the block and out for a 9-6 edge. The Cardinal nestled in an ace to get back even at 11-all but Carlson put UW back ahead with her 10th kill. An ace from Carlson put UW up 14-12, but Stanford rallied with three-straight to get to the media timeout with a 15-14 lead. Perry hit out of the back row straight to the floor on the next rally to tie it. A Cardinal miscue was followed by a Perry kill off the block and out and Stanford needed time with UW back up 17-15. Stanford got the kill out of the break but Hagglund answered with her second kill on the dump. The Cardinal scored the next two to tie at 18, and the Huskies took time. But UW bounced right back with two out of the break and it was a Stanford timeout once again with the Dawgs up 20-18. Barfield and Carlson then stood up to the All-American Klineman and returned the big swing straight back for a 21-18 advantage. But again the Cardinal got the next two after one bad Husky set and a Carlson error and called time up 21-20. Stanford pulled ahead 22-21 but Perry broke the run with her ninth kill to tie. The Cardinal won a wild rally to get to set point at 24-23, but UW saved it after Muñoz took four swings and finally put it down on the fourth. A service error gave Stanford set point right back, and the Huskies made a costly error sending a free ball back over, and the Cardinal pulled out the set, 26-24. The Cardinal outhit UW .271-.213 in the set despite seven kills from Perry without an error.
Barfield's first kill of the night put UW up 2-1 early. Rowland knotted it up with a rocket out of the middle at 4-4. But Stanford took the next three points and the Dawgs called time down 7-4. A kill by Barfield trimmed it to 11-9 but UW missed its next serve and then hit long as Stanford matched its biggest lead. A great save by Perry led to a big block by Carlson and Rowland to halve the lead. Holford served up an ace to trim it to 15-14 and the Cardinal called timeout. Stanford missed its next connection and UW tied it up, but Klineman got the kill on the next rally to break the 3-0 run. The teams alternated points, with the Cardinal inching one point ahead and UW matching, until Perry flew in from the back row to cap a great rally with a blast that put UW up 20-19. Carlson snuck a low set over the net and down for a 22-21 lead and Stanford took time. But Carlson and Perry missed their next two swings out of the break and UW now needed time trailing by one. The Huskies couldn't find the floor on the next two points, however, and the Cardinal completed a 4-0 run to take the set, 25-22. UW was done in by nine attack errors in the set.
The Cardinal held a slim early lead early in the fourth but UW tied it up at seven with consecutive blows from Rowland and Perry. After the sloppy third set, neither team had an error through 20 points in set four, until Barfield got a solo roof against Jessica Walker to put UW up 11-10. Rowland continued to pick on one Stanford blocker and her 11th kill made it 13-12. Carlson sent one off the defense and out to give UW the 15-14 lead at the media timeout. But it was the Huskies that needed timeout after Stanford took an 18-16 lead on a 4-1 run. A tough Dunaway serve led to a Muñoz finish and then Stanford hit wide and UW was back even at 20. Carlson weaved in for a kill on the pipe for a 22-21 lead but the Cardinal tied it up. Klineman got a swing on the next point but Hagglund and Rowland stood her up for the block. Carlson then came up with a clutch dig and Perry used it as a set and pummeled it down to give UW set point, 24-22, and Stanford took time. UW had three swings at the next point but Klinemen got the kill on a tip. The Huskies took timeout in anticipation of set point number two. But UW couldn't get the kill and Stanford leveled it at 24, then earned match point with another kill from Klineman. It was Klineman for the fourth-straight point that struck the final blow, as the Cardinal escaped with another 26-24 set win to close the match. Both teams drilled the ball in the set, but UW needed that one extra kill, as Stanford hit .436 in the frame to .421 for UW. Klineman took 23 of Stanford's 39 swings in the set, getting 11 kills, while Carlson found her rhythm again with seven kills and no errors and Rowland had four kills on five swings.
The Huskies will now take its last regular season road trip, heading to Arizona. UW will be in Tempe first to face the Sun Devils on Friday, Nov. 19, then move on to take on 20th-ranked Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 20. Both matches will start at 6 p.m. Pacific.
