College | Washington volleyball lets a squeaker slip away in Stanford

Lianna Sybeldon has a big night, but, oh, that fourth set …

• #11 Stanford def. #4 Washington 3-2 (24-26, 25-19, 16-25, 25-20, 15-13)
• Fri, Oct 23 | 6:00PM | #4 Washington @ California

College | Washington volleyball has fun winning

Right-side power and relentless defense dooms Ducks

• #4 Washington def. #24 Oregon 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-16)
• Wed| October 21 | 7:30PM | #4 Washington @ #6 Stanford

College | In battle of unbeatens, Washington volleyball loses round one to USC

Destiny Julye has another big night, but it's not enough to overcome Samantha Bricio's 27 kills 

#2 USC def. #5 Washington 3-1 (25-16, 22-25, 25-21, 33-31) 

• Wed, Oct 7 | 7:30PM | #14 Arizona @ #5 Washington 
• Fri, Oct 9 | 7:00PM | #6 Arizona St @ #5 Washington 

Washington's Destiny Julye gets one of her 15 kills against USC's block
-Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann

LOS ANGELES—In Mick Haley's opinion, Keegan Cook was gutsy. 

USC's legendary head coach was impressed when Washington's first-year coach scrambled his first set lineup at Galen Center Sunday afternoon. With his leading hitter, Courtney Schwan, sidelined after her ankle was injured during Friday's 3-0 victory at UCLA, Cook tried something new. He moved Crissy Jones from opposite to outside, and had Bailey Tanner hit opposite in the front row and set in the back row. "He (Cook) did something that probably most coaches wouldn't do," said Haley, admiringly.  

But the decision was a disaster. Jones struggled mightly in that first set—1 kill and 2 errors on 14 swings—as USC blew past UW 25-16. And so, as the second set began, Cook returned Jones to her usual opposite position, and inserted freshman Destiny Julye on the outside.  

Even more than she did Friday when she replaced the injured Schwan, Julye made an immediate impact. She recorded 6 kills and an big stuff block to lead Washington to a 25-22 second set win. "Keegan was very smart to go back to something more familiar to his players so they could play freely," said Haley.  

"I just told her to hit high and hit hard," said Cook. "She was really swinging." 

Washington's Cassie Strickland celebrates a point against USC
-Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann

Facing undefeated USC--now the nation's number one team--on the Trojans' home court, Washington had much to be pleased about. Lianna Sybeldon had another strong match, tallying 10 kills, most with authority. Cassie Strickland was again alert and physical on defense, leading by example with 15 digs while exhorting her teammates to cover blocks with amazing success. Tanner was an effective hitter and an even better setter. 

But the USC match offered evidence of where Washington has room to improve. Serving and passing—both Huskies trademarks—were off their usual standards. In part, the Huskies tried to serve Samantha Bricio as much as possible, with mixed results. Although Bricio seemed to tire in the first set, she caught her second wind after the break, something Haley credits to Bricio's offseason weight training.

USC's Samantha Bricio had 27 kills and 3 service aces against Washington
-Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann

Sybeldon and Melanie Wade, UW's outstanding middles, needed to be more involved in the offense as both Jones and Tia Scambray had sub-par performances. Cook said that Wade, in particular, should have gotten more than 14 sets. 

Last season's 2014 team had few weaknesses, but in pressure situations, last year's hitters had a tendency to send across too-easy tips and roll shots when sets weren't perfect. Against USC Sunday, that same problem stepped in, as the Huskies seemed reluctant to try to tool blocks or hit high hands down the stretch. 

Except for Julye. The 5-11 freshman continued to blast away in the third and fourth set, eventually earning a team-high 15 kills. Even during one bad stretch in the fourth, she kept hitting hard, eventually landing more winners. Many were line shots off the block. "Julye really went off," Haley marveled. "She's really got to be tickled with her performance." 

Washington's Lianna Sybeldon tips over the USC block attempt
-Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann 

The fourth set brought full-throated roars from a USC crowd mixed with plenty of purple. A Julye kill tied it at 22; another Julye kill knotted it at 23. A barely-in Jones cross-court made it 26-26; and a Wade line-scraping slide brought it to 27-all. Trailing 29-30, Sybeldon sealed two consecutive blocks, first on Bricio and then on Alicia Ogoms. 

But the final three points went USC's way, on Bricio's 27th kill followed by two consecutive UW hitting errors. It handed Cook his first-ever loss as a head coach, and forces him to figure a way to extract lessons from defeat. Great teams, he said after the match, learn from adversity. Washington has plenty of potential adversity ahead, starting with undefeated Arizona State Friday night in Alaska Airlines Arena. 

And then there's USC. The Trojans will be in Seattle at the end of the month.   

NOTES 

• Courtney Schwan remained on crutches. She says her left ankle would be fully evaluated on her return to Seattle. 
• Only three teams remain undefeated in Division 1: USC, Arizona State and Kansas. Nebraska knocked off #1 Penn State in five sets Friday. On Sunday, Nebraska lost in five to Ohio State. 
• The US Women's National Team won the NORCECA tournament in Mexico, and will play for the North American slot at the Rio Olympics at a separate NORCECA tournament in January. 

College | Washington volleyball meets its Destiny in win at UCLA

Huskies freshman steps in when Courtney Schwan goes down 

• #5 Washington def. #11 UCLA 3-0 (31-29, 25-16, 25-15) 
• Sun, Oct 4 | 1:00PM | #5 Washington @ #2 USC 

Washington freshman Destiny Julye (R) and her teammates defeated UCLA 3-0 in Los Angeles
-Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann

LOS ANGELES--It was first set, and Washington led UCLA 21-22. Sophomore outside hitter Courtney Schwan—the Huskies best pin hitter this season—had already slipped in three roll shots for kills, and attempted another. This one was dug, and the Bruins won the point on a slide to tie the score at 22. 

But Schwan was unexpectedly finished for the night. At the end of the rally, she injured her left ankle, and had to be helped to the bench. Suddenly, the Huskies seemed in big trouble. 

In the huddle, libero Cassie Strickland turned to her teammates and said, "It doesn't matter who's on the court. We are Washington, and we fight hard right now." Her fellow senior, middle Lianna Sybledon said, "Let's do it for Courtney." 

On the bench, Washington's only freshman felt the heat of hundreds of eyes in Pauley Pavilion. Destiny Julye, a Southern California girl, was coach Keegan Cooke's only option to replace Schwan. 

Washington's Courtney Schwan (4) is comforted by teammate Crissy Jones as Schwan's ankle gets initial evaluation.
-Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann

Julye felt pressure even before the match began. Warming up, a contingent of almost 100 supporters cheered with every practice attack, and moaned with every miss. 62 of those fans were players and parents from Tehachapi High, 100 miles north and a two hour bus ride away. Their coach, Sheri Dees, wanted her players to see what the next level looks like, especially the size and speed of the college game. 

"Destiny looks quicker and stronger," said Dees, who had not talked with her team about the very real possibility that Julye would not play. "I wanted them to support and cheer all of Destiny's teammates," she said. 

But there she was, the set on the line, expected to carry her share of the load. Her first few attacks were tentative, but at 23-23, she stuffed UCLA's Reily Buechler and sent the sizeable purple contingent into a brief frenzy.  

"I was nervous," she admitted later, "but my coaches and teammates told me to go in and do what we do in practice." 

The Bruins tied the score at 24, then both teams played the set of the season so far. Both served tough, both passed nails, both swung hard, both dug impossible balls. "We told our hitters, swing away," said Cook. "I told them they were in a position to write their own story. 

In all, each team overcame three set points, until—with UW leading 30-29—the final kill of the set went to Julye. 

Washington's Crissy Jones celebrates a point against UCLA
-Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann

Sets two and three were also won by Washington, but in far less dramatic fashion, although Julye also had the final kill in the second frame. This was Washington's first match of the season against a ranked team, and a chance to win in a venue where they have sometimes struggled. There was plenty to like, but a few real keys to the match: 

LIANNA SYBELDON 

Washington's senior middle blocker is showing All-American form, and was the key to the Huskies' offense. Because her teammates passed and dug so well, setters Bailey Tanner and Katy Beals went to Sybeldon early and often, good for 13 total kills.  

The key point of the entire match may have been at 24-24 in the first set. Sybeldon clobbered a Tanner quick set, only to see the Bruins turn a spectacular dig. Moments later, Tanner set another quick, with the same result. In a decision as rare as any you'll see in college volleyball, Tanner went back to Sybeldon for a third quick, and this time it hit the Bruins' side of the court. 

"I was grateful that Bailey gave me three shots in a row," said Sybeldon. I wanted to put it away. 

WASHINGTON'S DEFENSE 

From its formidable block (outblocking the Bruins 17-8 for the match) to its relentless scrambling (61 digs in just three sets), the Huskies frustrated UCLA's hitters at every turn. Tia Scambray was credited with 5 block assists, but 3 were actually solo stuffs of much taller Bruin Hayley Lawless.  Strickland had 19 digs, but Scambray was equally tough with 12, as was Tanner with 11 digs. The Huskies out-hit the Bruins .225 to .070. 

"Everyone's been working their butt off in practice to play defense and dig more balls, and all our hard work showed tonight," said Strickland, who credits the team's time on sand courts for its splashier defensive skills. 

HUSKIES' BENCH 

Besides Julye, two other bench players—both senior defensive specialists—came up big in the crucial first set. Kim Condie and Justice Magraw each took turns making big serves and crucial defensive plays, including a Condie ace and a Magraw pancake dig. As UW ran out of subs during the extended first set, players played out of position without missing a beat. 

Washington setter Katy Beals (L) and Justice Magraw are all smiles after a narrow first set win.
-Volleyblog Seattle by Leslie Hamann

NOTES 

• After the match, Cook said Schwan's injury will be evaluated before he can determine when she might next be available. Schwan was on crutches but in a good mood, considering. 
• Washington fans filled several rows of Pauley Pavilion. Nine Huskies went to high school in California, and folks wearing purple often cheered longer and louder than the home blue and gold. 
• Stanford fell to 1-2 in conference play for the first time in what seems like forever when the Cardinal lost 3-1 in Tempe to undefeated Arizona State. 
• If Seattle fans ever needed a reason to tape a Seahawks' game for later viewing, it will be Sunday at 1PM when undefeated Washington takes on undefeated USC at Galen Center.