Huskies Rally For Thrilling Win At American

Sunday, August 28

Washington, DC

1:00 PM

University of Washington

2-0

American University

2-2

Washington

American

August 28, 2016 | Volleyball

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By: UW Athletic Communications

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Husky volleyball team certainly got the adversity it planned for with its opening East Coast road trip. Facing another tough road crowd of over two thousand fans, and a team that has NCAA tourney expectations and little fear of major conference foes, the Huskies rallied from two sets to one down to beat American in a five-set nailbiter. Washington (2-0) also had to scratch and claw back from down 7-2 in the fifth set, winning 13 of the final 16 points.

The final tally was 25-17, 19-25, 17-25, 25-23, 15-10 for the Dawgs, who now return to Seattle and play an in-town road match at Seattle U. on Thursday before a home opener double-header next Friday against Idaho and Villanova.

"Congratulations to American on an outstanding performance," said Head Coach Keegan Cook. To put forth that level of effort in what was their 20th set of volleyball in two days is a testament to the culture of their program. We found the adversity we were seeking in a quality opponent..

Washington got career-highs from its three returning starters at the pins, as Courtney Schwan had 21 kills (previous high of 16), Tia Scambray had 19 kills (previous high of 15), and Crissy Jones had 17 kills (previous high of 11). Bailey Tanner also blew past her previous career high of 30 assists, as she dished out 48 tonight. Schwan, Scambray, Jones, and Tanner all had double-doubles as well with double-figure dig totals, led by the 19 of Jones, nine more than her old career-mark which was only set yesterday at James Madison.

The Huskies made one change to their starting lineup today, as freshman Kara Bajema got her first start and first collegiate action after sitting against James Madison. The Huskies also saw the debut of freshman Cailin Onosko today, who had a number of impressive moments at the service line.

Courtney Schwan delivered a quick first kill in serve-receive to open the match. Bailey Tanner floated an ace off the defense for an early 3-0 lead before AU got on the board. Scambray and Niece shut down a rightside swing for UW's first block and a 5-1 lead and American took time. Crissy Jones slammed a running backset from Tanner for an 8-2 advantage. A couple Scambray swings on the left found the floor to keep the Huskies up six. The Eagles had a 3-0 run to cut the lead in half but Schwan ended it with a blast for 11-7 and then ended a lengthy rally on the next point with a soft roll over the block. Avie Niece had a pair of kills, one coming via a AU blocking error and another on an Eagle overpass that she swiped to the sideline for a 14-8 lead. A perfectly placed shot up the line from Jones had the Huskies ahead, 17-12, and then Scambray built on that with consecutive kills for 19-12, forcing the last American timeout. Jade Finau and Carly DeHoog checked in for the first time after the break. Bajema notched her first career kill on a quick set from Finau for 21-15 Dawgs. Freshman Cailin Onosko checked in for her first career action, and her short serve helped lead to a DeHoog kill on the left. Niece and Schwan then combined for a stuff to get the Dawgs to set point, and Schwan finished it off with a big swing from the left, her sixth kill of the set, to end it at 25-17. Scambray matched Schwan with six kills, as the Huskies hit .441 in the frame and outdug the Eagles, 21-10.

A perfect bump set from Schwan to Scambray led to a kill and a 2-1 lead to start the second set. Bajema got up for a stuff in the middle for 4-2. The Huskies built a 7-3 lead but American scored four straight to tie it back up, until Tanner snapped that by dumping for her first kill of the day. An ace served up by Schwan got UW back in front at 10-9. Destiny Julye made her first appearance and a heavy swing off the block went out on the far sideline to tie it at 11-11. But the Huskies made three straight errors to fall behind, 11-14, and used their first timeout. The run went three points more before Scambray stopped the bleeding with a kill in serve-receive for 12-17. Two consecutive marathon rallies ended in Eagle errors as the Huskies clawed back to 14-17 and American took time. The first ever challenge the Huskies have been involved in went against them, as American challenged an out of bounds call claiming there was a Husky touch, and the refs ruled that it had touched the Husky hands, so the 15-18 set swung back to 14-19. The Huskies were unable to get a run going late, despite saving a pair of set points, and American finished off the set, 25-19. Washington hurt its cause with seven errors in the second set, hitting .146, and three more service errors.

American held the momentum to an 8-4 lead at the start of the third set. The Huskies had Kameron McLain into the middle to start the third set and her first kill made it 6-9. American extended the lead to six points at the media timeout, at 9-15. The teams continued to trade points out of the timeout, as Schwan earned a couple kills for the Dawgs but UW could not slow down the Eagles attack, and when American got the lead to 13-20, the Huskies took time. Jones connected on the Tanner assist out of the break to try to spark a rally, then Jones and Niece ended a long exchange with a block to get within five. But the run stopped there, and the Eagles got to set point at 17-24. A setting error on the Dawgs ended it, 25-17.

The Eagles got off to another quick start in the fourth, leading 5-2, before Julye smashed one down from the right. McPherson picked up a tip and Tanner bump set Jones for a finish to make it 5-6, then Schwan tied it up with a kill in transition. The Eagles pushed back to another three-point lead, then Jones had a rightside finish and served up an ace, followed by a Scambray transition kill to level things again at 11-11. American answered with two to maintain the lead, until an ace from Scambray tied it again at 13. The Dawgs finally took their first lead at 16-15 on a Jones kill high off the block, but AU answered to tie it back up. Schwan finished, and then American missed a swing long for 18-16 Dawgs, and American took time. The Huskies added one more on an American lift call, before the Eagles broke the 3-0 run. But Scambray and Niece got the sideout back with a key block. American pulled within one, but Scambray terminated from the left for 21-19. Julye put one down inside the block for 22-20. The teams swapped points to 23-22 where the Huskies called for time. American found the net with its next serve for set point Huskies, but AU saved the first with a kill in serve-receive. Scambray had a perfect pass, and Tanner set behind to Schwan who dropped it right in the middle of the floor with no Eagles in range, finishing the set, 25-23.

The Eagles took the first two points of the fifth before Scambray scored. But another 3-0 American run quickly made it 1-5 and the Huskies had to take time. Tanner ended a wild rally by punching one over and down for 2-6, and a big swing from Schwan made it 3-7. Jones struck from the back row for 4-7, then Schwan hammered in transition to cut another one off the lead, and American took its first timeout at 5-7 Eagles. Schwan got another tip to fall for a fourth-straight point on Julye's serve, before the Eagles snapped the streak with a kill to make it 6-8 at the changeover. Schwan came through again on the left in serve-receive for 7-8, and the Huskies then tied it up at 8-all with a rejection, and a second-straight rejection from Niece put the Huskies in front for the first time at 9-8. UW forced American into an error on the next rally for a 10-8 lead and the Eagles took their final timeout. Out of the break, Tanner's hard float was overpassed and Schwan got up to stuff it down for 11-8 before Tanner finally missed serve, snapping the 5-0 run. The Huskies got it right back, as McPherson made a diving save of a tough serve, and Jones stepped inside for a hard kill. Jones found her range again on the right side on the next point to push it to 13-9. Tanner then backset to Jones for a third straight kill as the Dawgs were at match point. American saved the first, but McPherson had a solid pass on the next point and Tanner found Scambray who delivered the clincher, as the Dawgs survived with a 9-2 run to the finish.