University of Washington
Gonzaga
Muñoz Leads The Way To Sweep Of Gonzaga
September 03, 2011 | Volleyball
Sept. 3, 2011
SPOKANE, Wash. - Junior Kylin Muñoz posted a career-high 18 kills in just three sets to lead the eighth-ranked Huskies to a sweep of Gonzaga, the host school of the Northwest Challenge, today at the Martin Centre. The win was the 250th for head coach Jim McLaughlin in just ten-plus record-setting seasons at Washington.
The Huskies (5-0) will be back on court shortly to face Boise State with first serve set for 4 p.m.
The Huskies were impressive offensively in the 27-25, 25-15, 25-20 victory. They posted a season-best 57 kills, and senior Evan Sanders racked up 50 assists and 12 digs for her first double-double as a Husky. Muñoz started slow but then got rolling late in the first set and she wound up with 18 kills while hitting .368, easily surpassing her previous high of 11 kills.
Freshmen Krista Vansant and Summer Ross added 14 and nine kills, respectively, and senior Bianca Rowland had 10 put-aways. Sophomore Jenna Orlandini registered a team-best 16 digs. Gonzaga was the first team to hit .200 this year against the Huskies (hitting exactly .200), but Washington functioned at a .331 clip, and had nine team blocks to two for the Bulldogs.
The first set would be a battle throughout, with 16 tie scores. Gonzaga took its first lead at 15-14 in the first set, but a block by Sanders and Lauren Barfield tied it back up. Muñoz shook off some early errors and rattled off kills on three straight points to put the Huskies up, 18-16. The run extended to 6-1 as Sanders set up Muñoz, Ross, and Rowland, and Gonzaga took timeout down 17-21. But Gonzaga climbed back and tied it up again at 23-all. Vansant gave UW the first set point with a kill, but GU saved it with a kill by Laura Day. A solo block by Barfield put UW a point away, but again the Zags saved it. Vansant finished the next point for a 26-25 edge, and then Muñoz put down her ninth kill of the first set on the third set point to end it, 27-25. UW outhit Gonzaga, .288 to .262 in the first set, with four kills apiece from Rowland and Vansant without an error. Sanders dished 18 assists and had five digs in the frame.
The Huskies shook loose early in the second set with a 4-1 start that included kills by Ross, Barfield, and Muñoz, and an ace from Vansant. Another 4-0 run made it 8-2 Huskies and forced a Gonzaga timeout. Orlandini came out of the break and tossed in an ace, and a GU misfire had the Dawgs up 10-2 early. Consecutive put-aways by Muñoz and Vansant stretched the lead to ten at 14-4. A block thrown up by Barfield and Ross ended one rally, and Muñoz killed the next for a 19-9 advantage and the Bulldogs took another timeout. Vansant put down another to bring about set point, and Kylie Edinger put one in the net for Gonzaga on the next play to end it 25-15 in UW's favor. Washington upped its hitting to .306 in the set, as Muñoz had five kills on 11 swings without an error. The Bulldogs were held to just .061 hitting in the set.
After the break, Vansant started her best set with a kill, and Ross added another for a 2-0 lead. Rowland and Sanders met at the net for a roof and a 5-3 lead, but Gonzaga went on a 5-2 run to take its first lead at 8-7. Washington responded to that challenge with a five-point burst with Sanders serving. Muñoz got the sideout with a kill, and then junior Kelcey Dunaway teamed with Ross for a block, and two points later it was Dunaway and Vansant sending back another GU attack. Vansant put down another Sanders set for a 12-8 lead and Gonzaga whistled for time. Gonzaga fought back to get within one point on several occasions but would never get even again. Ross and Vansant finished two straight points to push back out to a 20-16 edge. Dunaway's first finish made it 22-18, and then Rowland connected on the next point and the Zags took time to try a final push. Freshman Kaleigh Nelson got to close it out for the Huskies, getting a kill to set up match point, and another two points later to wrap things up, 25-20. UW had its best set offensively, hitting .405, with six kills for Vansant and four for Muñoz on six swings.
The Huskies will look to solidify a fourth-straight Northwest Challenge tournament title with a win over Boise State this evening.
