Huskies Can’t Finish No. 11 Ducks In Heartbreaker

Sunday, October 13

Eugene, OR

1:00 PM

University of Washington

13-3,3-3Big Ten

Oregon

13-2,5-1Big Ten

Washington

Oregon

October 13, 2024 | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score PDF

By: UW Athletic Communications

EUGENE, Ore. – Three points from the finish of what would have been its biggest win of the year, the Husky volleyball team couldn't slam the door closed at Matthew Knight Arena. Leading 12-9 in the fifth set, the 24th-ranked Dawgs dropped the last six points as No. 11 Oregon rallied past UW to take the Big Ten battle.

It would have been UW's first ranked win of the season but instead it ended as an agonizing loss for the Huskies, 19-25, 25-22, 25-19, 21-25, 12-15. Washington (13-3, 3-3 Big Ten) essentially outplayed Oregon (13-2, 5-1 Big Ten) overall, up until the final six points.

"This one hurt," said Head Coach Leslie Gabriel. "I wanted us to come out and really compete and how we do that is we stay focused on our assignments, and I thought they did that. We worked a ton on floor defense this week and I thought I saw a lot of great defensive plays from the back row and our setters. Some girls took some tough swings at the end there and we just missed. I told them that I was with them on every swing. We'll get back in the gym and keep working, but today was how we need to play."

Washington finished with a higher attack percentage, .229 to .222, had more kills, 67 to 58, and more digs (69-62). The teams finished with seven aces apiece but UW hurt itself with 13 service errors, including three in the final set, while Oregon only missed three all match. The Ducks had an edge blocking, 13.5 to 10.5.

Madi causes chaos! ??

Huskies win the third and take the 2-1 lead!#PointHuskies // @B1GVolleyball pic.twitter.com/oAJycnvzuK
— Washington Volleyball (@UWVolleyball) October 13, 2024

Sophomore Kierstyn Barton was back in the starting lineup today for the first time since Sept. 15, and she delivered 20 kills and 16 digs for an impressive return. Madi Endsley added a huge 17 kills on a .318 attack percentage, and Emoni Bush had 14 kills while hitting .235 with four blocks.

Molly Wilson had 28 assists and 15 digs and Alexis Haury had 27 assists and six digs. Senior Lauren Bays had the first double-double of her career with 15 digs and a career-high 10 assists. Julia Hunt had six blocks to go with five kills and an ace, and Elise Hani added three kills and four blocks in her first start of the season.

Up Next: Washington will try to use this close call as a launching pad for another long road trip next week as UW visits Michigan and Michigan State next Friday and Sunday, respectively.

Set One: Kiune Fletcher blocked the Ducks on the opening rally then consecutive kills by Barton made it 3-0. Molly Wilson earned the ace for a 6-2 lead. Hunt dove to save a serve that hit the tape and trickled over, and then Endsley tooled the block to earn the point for 9-6. Endsley had another right side finish for 10-7 and Oregon took an early timeout. The Dawgs rejected two straight Duck swings for 13-9, with Elise Hani in on both, but Oregon answered with a 3-0 run to pull within a point. Oregon had three service aces that hit the net and fell over, helping it get even at 14-14. A kill by Barton and a block by Bush had UW still in front at 17-16, but then Oregon had a block and another ace followed by a kill on an overpass to make it 17-120 and UW used a timeout. Fletcher had a kill out of the break to snap the run, but Oregon had another ace to make it 18-22. Oregon closed it out on a 3-0 run to win it, 25-19.

Despite hitting just .083 in the set, Oregon took the win behind five service aces. UW meanwhile had just one ace and made four service errors.

Set Two: A three-point Husky run on two Bush kills and a block by Bush and Hani gave UW an early 7-5 lead in the second set. Hunt got her arm warmed up as she crushed three kills in four points out of the middle to force an Oregon timeout at 12-7. Out of the break, Endsley and Fletcher added kills to make it a 5-0 run to 14-7 on Haury's serve. Another Fletcher finish and an Oregon error made it 16-9 and the Ducks used their last timeout. Back-to-back Barton finishes made it an eight-point lead at 19-11. Oregon had a couple blocks and after a Husky misfire the eight-point lead was suddenly down to four and UW needed timeout. A perfect pass from Bays out of the break let Wilson go to Hani for a big kill for 20-15, and then Bush tipped one down on the next point for a little more breathing room. Fletcher brought the Dawgs to set point with a kill for 24-20. Oregon saved two and the Dawgs called timeout, but out of the break, Heard had a key dig and Barton put it down from the left for 25-22 and the tie.

The Huskies outhit the Ducks in the second, .297 to .229. They had a 14-9 edge in digs with four from Bays, and UW did not give up an ace after allowing five in the opener.

Huskies bite back ??

No. 24 @UWVolleyball takes set two against No. 11 Oregon.#B1GVolleyball on @BigTenPlus ?? pic.twitter.com/L6zBOEwEfO
— Big Ten Volleyball (@B1GVolleyball) October 13, 2024

Set Three: Washington jumped on Oregon early again in the third, winning four of the first five points with an ace by Heard and a barton kill. Another 4-0 Husky run made it 8-2 and forced Oregon into an early timeout as Barton and Bush converted and the Ducks made two errors. After a couple points, the Huskies had yet another 4-0 surge on Bays' serve. Fletcher and Barton had a block, Endsley a kill, Bays an ace and then Hunt and Bush another block which made it 13-4 and Oregon burned its final timeout. But Oregon stood firm and wouldn't let the Dawgs run away, scoring three out of the break before an attack error made it 14-7 Dawgs. Oregon then reeled off six-straight to get all the way back within one point, but Hunt finally snapped that run with a kill, and then Barton had consecutive kills as the Dawgs rebounded to go back up, 17-13. Another 3-0 run from the Ducks made it 19-18, but Bush responded with two kills and then Barton had an ace as the Dawgs jumped away again to 23-18. Endsley swiped off the block to reach set point at 24-19, and on the next rally Endsley tipped one over and down again for the 25-19 win.

The Dawgs hit .229 and held Oregon to .176 in the frame with five kills from barton and four from Bush and three from Endsley. UW also fired three aces and missed just one serve.

Set Four: A block by Hunt and Fletcher and a Barton kill had it at 3-3 in the fourth. Fletcher and Hani had kills and then Haury hit Barton for another for a 3-0 UW run to make it 6-4. Wilson served up an ace for 8-6, but Oregon had a 4-0 run to open up a two-point lead. Bush got a kill after a replay reversal to make it 10-11, but the Ducks extended to a three-point cushion at the media timeout, 12-15. An ace by Hunt off the tape cut it to two, but Oregon responded with two and UW called timeout at 15-19. Hani and Endsley got it back within two again but Oregon answered with three straight for 17-22 and UW's last timeout. Bays had an ace for 19-22 but Oregon reached set point at 20-24 and converted its second chance to force the fifth.

The Ducks had their best attacking set in the fourth, hitting .317 with nine kills from Mimi Colyer. Barton had five kills but UW hit .238 overall and made three service errors while Oregon did not miss from the line.

Set Five: Oregon scored the first two points but then the Huskies caught fire with five in a row to force a Ducks timeout. Bush started it with two kills in a row and Hani had a solo rejection. Endsley had a kill and Bush added one more from a Wilson set. Endsley and Fletcher added to the lead and then a long rally was capped by a quick strike from Hunt for 9-4. Endsley tooled the block for 10-5. The Ducks got two back but Barton got one inside the block for 11-7. Two more went to Oregon before Barton put another away for 12-9. But then it all went awry for the Huskies as Oregon had a kill, a block, and a Husky attacking error that was challenged unsuccessfully for 12-12 and UW took time. Out of the break, it was another UW error and then an Oregon kill in transition to reach match point at 12-14. Oregon killed an overdig to end it, 12-15, as UW lost the final six points in a row.

Oregon won the fifth despite getting just six kills while UW had 11 kills out of its 12 points. Washington hurt itself again missing three serves with no aces. Endsley had four kills on six swings in the fifth.