From Washington University Athletics
During the University Athletic Association (UAA) second round robin's first day of action Washington University in St. Louis' volleyball team secured two consecutive conference victories in 3-0 fashion against Case Western Reserve University and University of Rochester Saturday afternoon at Brandeis University's Red Auerbach Arena.
WashU (14-7 Overall, 4-1 UAA) utilized a .319 attack percentage against CWRU (14-6 Overall, 1-3 UAA) and 18 block assists versus Rochester (18-7 Overall, 3-2 UAA) to capture consecutive wins on the road. The Bears defense was strong as it totaled 111 digs between the two matches, averaging more than 18 digs per set.
Match 1: WashU 3 – CWRU 0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-19)
WashU jumped out to a quick lead scoring the first four points of the match behind the service of Rexi Sheredy. An ace from Sheredy paired with Ifeoma Ufondu and Caroline Dupont's put the Bears up 4-0. The Spartans pulled within one point, 19-18 but a kill from Sheredy assisted by Chloe Stile put the Bears back in control. Stile went to the service line and brought the Bears within a point of taking the opening set. Sheredy closed the set out with a set from Stile.
The second set was similar with the Bears taking an early lead before CWRU rallied to within a single point. WashU was ahead 14-13 before scoring four straight points, highlighted by a block from Julianne Malek and Amanda Palucki. Dupont finished the set with a kill set by Stile.
The Bears saved its best for last, closing out the set with a .500 hitting percentage, including 16 kills. WashU cruised as Dupont contributed four kills in the final set.
Sheredy led the Bears with 12 kills while Dupont added 11. Malek finished the match with nine kills hitting at a .500 clip. Abby Selcho made her time count finishing the match with a perfect 1.000 percentage, tallying a kill in a single set of play. Stile had 37 assists and three aces to lead the team.
Natalie Stephanus led the Bears with 12 digs while Malek contributed six blocks. Ufondu added three blocks while Dupont contributed two as well.
Match 2: WashU 3 – Rochester 0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-20)
Both WashU and Rochester entered the match with just a single loss within conference play. The Yellow Jackets played the Bears close as long rallies were the norm.
Ufondu led the Bears with 13 kills and .500 percentage against Rochester. WashU dominated defensively during the match with nine more digs than Rochester and more than doubling the Yellow Jackets block total of five.
Sheredy put the Bears within a single point of going up a set on Rochester before the Yellow Jackets scored four straight points during the first set. Dupont ended Rochester's run with a kill which put WashU ahead 1-0.
WashU held a commanding 6-1 lead before Rochester chipped away at the Bears lead, eventually pulling ahead 17-16. The two teams traded points, staying locked in a tie at 22-22 but the Bears utilized kills from Ufondu, Palucki and Malek to pull ahead 2-0.
Rochester powered past the Bears in the third set, stretching out a 15-11 lead. WashU scored seven of the next nine points to take a 19-17 advantage. Blocks from Dupont, Stile and Sheredy helped the Bears take the lead. WashU scored three of the final four points on kills from Sheredy, Ufondu and Dupont to close out the second match victory of the day.
Ufondu led the team with 13 kills while Sheredy and Dupont totaled 10 apiece. Stile once again led the Bears offense, assisting on 36 points. Lauren Fournier scored two of the Bears five aces on the match.
Dupont led the Bears with nine blocks, including one solo while Baxter was the lone Bear to reach double figures in digs with 22 total.