#13 Washington Finds Balance in Sweep of Boise State

Boise State Classic

#13 WASHINGTON DEF. BOISE STATE 3-0

• #13 Washington def. Boise State 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-17)
• #13 Washington improves to 6-2; Boise State falls to 6-2
• Boise, Idaho | Bronco Gym
  • Attendance: 1,034
• Box Score
• Washington Release | Boise State Release

To open up the Boise State Classic, #13 Washington swept tournament host-Boise State behind a balanced effort all-around.

Things were tied 20-20 in the first, but the Huskies pulled away in the opening game. Things were close late in the second, but they came out on top again. Then, in the third they established dominance from the get-go to finish off the match.

Not a single player for Washington reached double-digit kills, but five were close and notched between 7 and 9. Kara Bajema (7 kills, .000, 6 digs, 3 blocks) took on the biggest load with 33 swings, but no one else surpassed 18 and the other four (outside of Bajema) in the top five of kills went on to hit .431 (31-6-58).

That quartet of players were Samantha Dreschel (9 kills, .333, 4 blocks), Destiny Julye (8 kills, .533, 6 digs, 4 aces), Lauren Sanders (7 kills, .417, 7 blocks) and Avie Niece (7 kills, .462, 4 blocks). Shayne McPherson led the team in digs (9) and Ella May Powell in assists (29).

Meanwhile for Boise State, Sabryn Roberts (18 kills, .378, 4 digs, 3 blocks) was phenomenal. Unfortunately for the Broncos, everyone else on the team combined for just 21 kills on a .027 hitting percentage – and that even includes Danielle Boss (20 assists, 3 kills, .600, 3 digs, 2 blocks). It really was the inverse of what Washington did. Janell Walley (4 kills, 11 digs) did lead the team in digs though.

In total, Washington hit .252 and held Boise State to a .145 clip. The Huskies also had more kills (41-39), assists (39-35), aces (7-2) on just one more serve error and blocks (11-7). The Broncos wound up with more digs (41-37).

Each of these teams will stick around Boise now, as the Broncos host the Boise State Classic. To conclude the event, Washington gets CSUN and Sacramento State on Friday while Boise State faces CSUN and Portland on Friday with a match against Sacramento State coming Saturday.