by RALEIGH, N.C. — The Washington State volleyball team came away with a 3-1 victory over host NC State (1-1) Sunday afternoon in Raleigh, NC as the Cougars finished their opening weekend a perfect 2-0 at the Wolfpack’s tournament. The Cougars dominated the net throughout the day, using a series of big runs to put away the Wolfpack and earn the victory.
Set scores for the match were: 25-14, 25-17, 22-25, 25-8.
Posting the first of many their many runs throughout the day, the Cougars got rolling with a 5-0 run early in the first set to take a quick advantage as the Wolfpack offense sputtered. As the set grew close nearing the midway point, the Cougars turned up the pressure using a 10-0 run to put the set away led by senior McKenna Woodford’s three kills and one block. The Cougars would outhit the Wolfpack by .300 points in the opening set as senior Alexis Dirige, with nine digs, led a defensive effort that kept WSU’s side of the court clean throughout.
In the second set, it was much of the same for the Cougars who used a 6-0 run to turn the tables on NC State and take a 12-8 lead. Again, this time with senior Taylor Mims (Crow Tribe) behind the service line, the Cougs closed out the set victory with a dominating run winning nine of the final 12 points to go up a commanding 2-0 in the match. Mims and Woodford led the attack once again as the duo of outside hitters combined for 10 of WSU’s 14 kills in the frame.
For WSU, the lone hiccup of the weekend would come in the third set as NC State was able to salvage one set victory against the Cougars to avoid the sweep. The Wolfpack used a pair of mistakes late by the Cougars to gain separation late in the set as WSU’s attack sputtered while the block began to find its rhythm.
That blocking presence in the end of the third set would carry over to the fourth and final set of the day as the Cougars ran roughshod over the Wolfpack to secure the match victory. Woken up by the loss in set three, the Cougars wasted no time putting an end to any comeback hopes of the NC State with a 9-0 run, including three more kills from Woodford, that set the Cougars up with a 13-3 lead early. The final seven points of the match would to WSU as a blocking exhibition by Mims and senior Ella Lajos leveled the final last-gasp efforts of the Wolfpack attack.
NOTES…
- WSU took the tournament title at NC State with a perfect 2-0 record.
- The win over NC State snapped the Wolfpack’s 12-match home winning streak with their last loss coming nearly a full calendar year prior.
- The eight points given up in the fourth set tied for the lowest set score given up in WSU program history matching a 25-8 set against Seattle on Aug. 31, 2012.
- Senior Taylor Mims was named the tournament MVP with a combined 31 kills against VCU and NC State.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR…
Washington State (2-0) stays on the road with a pair of matches against Northern Iowa (2-1) in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The first match of the weekend doubleheader begins at 4 p.m. PT Friday, August 31.
