Cougars fall in three at 18th-ranked Washington
WSU senior middle blocker Magda Jehlarova returns a volley during the Cougars’ match against Minnesota on Sept. 17, 2022.
Courtesy photo/WSU
SEATTLE — In the midst of a nine-match road stretch, Washington State volleyball (8-4) fell 3-0 (25-15, 25-14, 25-22) on the road at 18th-ranked Washington (9-2) Wednesday night in its Pac-12 conference opener on Wednesday night at Alaska Airlines Arena.
Washington State had five aces from the service line but Washington hit .412 as a team as the Cougars saw a streak of three-straight wins in conference openers snapped.
Katy Ryan led the Cougars with seven kills while setter Argentina Ung was forced to hit more than usual and finished with six kills (6-0-16, .375) to go along with 14 assists and one block assist. Magda Jehlarova finished with a team-leading three block assists and had five kills on 12 swings (5-1-12, .333) but the Cougars hit just .146 as a team Wednesday night.
The Huskies got off to a fast start with a 5-1 run to begin the match. WSU finished off the opening set with three consecutive sideouts, picking up some momentum with a pair of kills from Laura Jansen and one from Magda Jehlarova. UW followed up its first-set win with a 5-1 run early in the second, finishing the second set with 17 kills as a team and only a single attacking error (17-1-31, .516).
Despite trailing by a pair of sets, Washington State opened the third on a 4-0 run and led 8-3 early. The Huskies then responded with an 8-0 run to go ahead, 11-8. WSU forced a match-high eight errors from the Huskies in the third and were within one point down, 23-22, but the Huskies closed the match with a sideout followed by a kill from Marin Grote to win, 25-22.
Washington State will play its seventh straight match away from its home court on Saturday as it takes on USC beginning at 2 p.m.