Pac-12 | What we learned from Washington’s loss to Stanford

#2 Stanford 3, #5 Washington 2 (10-25, 28-26, 10-25, 26-24, 15-7)

next: California @ #5 Washington | October 20, 2012 | 1PM

[See also: UW falls to No. 2 Stanford]


Let’s not sugarcoat it: the Huskies choked.

In sets one and three, Washington absolutely demolished Stanford, holding the Cardinal to just 10 points in each. In both sets, Stanford hit for negative average (-.175 & -.034), and were outblocked by a combined 9-1.

Stanford's Madi Bugg sets from her knees
-Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann

So, where was that Huskies’ team in the other three sets? They lost two set points in the second frame, fooled by an Inky Ajanaku tip, stung by a rare Kaleigh Nelson hitting error (one of only two for the night), and then finished off by two right-side Carly Wopat slides (more on that in a moment.)

In the fourth set, a Nelson/Amanda Gil block set up match point, but freshman Katy Beals—who leads the Pac-12 in service aces—served long. Brittany Howard, who had struggled all night, hit a cross-court kill from the left, and Ajanaku blocked an ill-advised Krista Vansant back row attack.

Less than two weeks from Halloween, Stanford emerged from the dead, and never looked back.

“You only have so many opportunities in life,” said Washington coach Jim McLaughlin. “If we make one more play, we’re out of here in four, maybe even three.”

For most of the match, and certainly on the stat sheet, Washington was the better team. But Stanford shook off the two 25-10 skunkings, and was tougher at set point than the Huskies proved to be.

When elite teams meet, the outcome is usually decided by such otherwise hard-to-measure differences. Stanford expected to win. Washington, it seemed, had the possibility of losing in the back of its mind.

THE OH2 DILEMMA

Gabbi Parker (11) attacks
-Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann

When we look at the numbers, it’s hard to fault any one player. Washington’s setters—Beals and Jenni Nogueras—had the luxury of great set distribution thanks to generally stellar passing. For the match, Vansant, Kylin Muñoz and especially Nelson all had big-time performances. Oregon has Alaina Bergsma, but Washington’s Muñoz/Nelson may be the best right side combo in the nation.

Washington’s head-scratcher is at OH2. Cassie Strickland was a liability on offense, just 3 kills and 4 errors on 23 swings (negative .043). In limited action, Gabbi Parker was equally ineffective, just one kill and two errors on 7 swings (negative .143).

The two players bring dissimilar tools to a match. Both have booming jump serves, though we only see Strickland serving of late. Against Stanford, Strickland had fewer service errors than usual (2), and kept the Cardinal passers on their toes throughout.

Although the 5-8 Strickland has hops, she is mostly ineffective attacking against other elite teams; she is often blocked and frequently resorts to tips. Parker, on the other hand, is streaky: she can be big and powerful and confident one moment, only to become frustrated and indecisive after an error. A player like Parker needs more playing time to get her groove.

Strickland seems to get the starting nod because her defense is often exceptional. As we’ve noted before, she has the same ability Summer Ross had to pay attention to the other side of the net and get to the ball. Even when Strickland’s on the front row, it’s like having a second libero.

It can make for thrilling volleyball. Tied at 2 in the first set, the two teams launched an epic rally. Time and again, an attack seemed sure to hit the court, but a Husky or a Cardinal found a way to keep it going. We haven’t yet seen the tape, but it felt as if the ball went back and forth across the net 25 or more times, often after spectacular Strickland saves. In a dozen years of watching Washington volleyball, we can’t remember a longer or better rally. (It was finally won, by the way, by a smart Vansant block, deftly redirecting a soft Stanford attack.)

THE HOLE IN THE BLOCK

The Huskies have the best blocks/set average in Division 1, but outblocking both Oregon and Stanford did not produce wins.

Both the Ducks and Cardinal exposed a hole in the Huskies’ block: the right side. Bergsma brought Oregon back from the brink by hammering away on the right, while Stanford’s Carly Wopat ran right side slides that connected when it mattered.

Stanford's Carly Wopat (2) connects on a slide
-Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann

Setting the right side depends, of course, on good passing and digging. Early in each match, neither the Ducks nor the Cardinal did much right-side damage. But both schools upgraded passing as the match progressed, and Washington’s block on that part of the net grew less effective.

Blocking the opponent’s right side attack is primarily the responsibility of the outside hitters. Vansant plays every minute of every match, and teams usually serve at her to slow her approach and wear her down. Neither Strickland nor Parker block as consistently well as Muñoz and Nelson, although Strickland’s exceptional eyework allowed her to stuff the much taller Ajanaku in the third set.

REFUSING TO LOSE

McLaughlin tends not to encourage emotional displays. “Toughness isn’t about screaming and yelling,” he says. “Toughness is about nailing your serves and hitting the ball in bounds.”

McLaughlin’s 2005 team—his best-ever so far—was led by Courtney Thompson, an unabashed emotional leader. No one worked harder than Thompson, and her technical skills improved relentlessly. But it was often her emotional, outward displays that inspired those around her. She simply refused to lose, and her teammates played better because of it.

When Washington held and then lost set points against both Oregon and Stanford, no obvious leader emerged. Of the current Huskies, none seems comfortable in that role. Against the best teams, that may prove to be a continuing liability.

PUTTING IT INTO PERSPECTIVE

For much of the season, Washington has been one of five Pac-12 teams ranked among the nation’s top seven. As the first half of conference play draws to a close (Sunday against California), the Huskies have wins against UCLA and USC and losses against Oregon and Stanford.

Washington players Jenna Orlandini (4), Jenni Nogueras (9), and Melanie Wade (5) celebrate a Kaleigh Nelson (6) kill
-Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann

Washington will see all of those teams once again, though only the Ducks will travel to Seattle. The Huskies still control their destiny, with a chance to win the conference or, barring that, to host the first two rounds of the tournament.

McLaughlin admits that he remembers the losses more than the victories, but—like most top coaches—he points out that we humans tend to learn more from adversity than from success. His 2012 team has an opportunity to study how they let two very winnable matches slip from their grasp. If they learn those lessons sooner rather than later, they could be very dangerous indeed in the postseason.

AND, FINALLY ...

Both teams started three freshmen each, and outstanding sophomores like Vansant, Nelson and Stanford's Morgan Boukather played major roles.

Folks, this promises to be a thrilling rivalry for several years to come ...

NOTES:

• Washington freshman Melanie Wade played the entire match at MB2. She attended Palo Alto High School, in the shadow of the Stanford campus.

“Mel went into the game and stepped it up,” said fellow middle blocker Amanda Gil. “I’m incredibly proud of the way she blocked.”

“I thought she did a hell of a job,” said McLaughlin. “I really did.”

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WRITTEN BY Jack Hamann | PHOTOS BY Leslie Hamann

www.nolittlethings.com

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