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THIS WEEK AT HUSKY VOLLEYBALL
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 21
Washington at No. 7 Washington State, 7 p.m. | Live Statistics
Pullman, Washington • Bohler Gym
Live on National Pac-12 Networks
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 24
Washington at Arizona State, 1 p.m. | Live Statistics
Tempe, Arizona • Mullett Arena
Live on Pac-12 Washington Networks
SEATTLE– The Pac-12’s final year gets off to a hot start for the Husky volleyball team this week, as UW takes two road trips in four days to Pullman, Washington and Tempe, Arizona. It’s a big challenge for the Dawgs, who finished non-conference play with a 9-2 record, while the rival Cougars are ranked No. 7 nationally and Arizona State has a perfect 12 record. -0. Each game will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Networks, the first televised games of the year for the Huskies.
UW and WSU will play the first round of the Boeing Apple Cup Series this Thursday, September 21 at 7 p.m. at Bohler Gym. Next, the Huskies will fly south for a game in the desert, taking on the Sun Devils on Sunday, September 24 at 1 p.m. at Mullett Arena.
Through 11 non-conference matches, the Huskies have been one of the best serving teams in the NCAA with 2.44 aces per set, which ranks them in the top 10 nationally and second in the Pac-12. UW is fourth in the Pac with 14.05 digs per set, but UW will aim to improve its .229 attack percentage which currently ranks just 11th in the conference. All of UW’s outside hitters have had periods of greatness, consistently putting them together is what the Dawgs will need to make waves in the loaded Pac-12. May Pertofsky And Madi Endsley have an identical average of 3.08 kills per set, while Kierstyn Barton is at 2.73 and Audra Wilmes at 2:33 a.m. Barton had an epic 26-kill outing last week at Cal Poly, lifting UW to victory in five sets and showing the team’s potential for growth. Lauren Berries has been a key player with all the changes, as the third-year starter ranks second in the Pac-12 in digs (4.12/set) and aces (0.56/set).
WSU entered the top 10 for the first time this week after upsetting Texas in Austin last week, as well as recent big wins over ranked teams Baylor and BYU. WSU’s only loss was to a top-five Louisville team. This is the first time since 2002 that the Cougars are ranked higher than the Huskies at the time of their game.
Senior All-American midfielder Magda Jehlarova leads WSU and leads the Pac-12 with 1.40 blocks per set while ranking second with a .455 attack percentage. WSU is hitting .316 as a team, with former Arizona State transfer Iman Isanovic posting 3.65 kills per set to hit .364. Pia Timmer adds 3.24 kills per set and Katy Ryan posts 2.62 and hits .363. Karly Basham averages 4.03 digs per set.
The only team with better offensive numbers than WSU is ASU, although ASU has not faced a ranked opponent during its 12-0 start. Arizona State is hitting a whopping .349 as a team and is the only team with a higher ace rate than the Dawgs at 2.56. Marta Levinska is the current Pac-12 Player of the Week and averages 3.97 kills per set, hitting .372. No Sun Devil averaging more than 1.00 kills per set is currently hitting less than .333. Setter Shannon Shields averages 10.36 assists per set. JJ Van Niel is in his first year as head coach of the Sun Devils.
