The Wash. U. Lady Bears celebrate, following one of their four wins to begin the 2022 Division III women’s volleyball season. (Photo: Thomas Grove)

DeMarcus Dixon
Staff Writer

ST. LOUIS, MO — The Washington University women’s volleyball team enjoyed a near perfect start to its 2022 season. The Lady Bears played four matches and won them all to begin their fall campaign with a 4-0 record.

The season began with a non-conference road win against in-town rival Fontbonne on Thursday. Wash. U. won that match three sets to one, after winning the first set, then losing the second set, but closing out the night by winning the third and fourth sets.

Sophomore outside hitter Jasmine Sells had a match-high 16 kills, and freshman setter Sam Buckley had 35 assists to lead the way.

Then on Friday and Saturday, Wash. U. hosted the Labor Day Invite at the Wash. U. Field House — an event hosted by the Lady Bears with matches against Berea College, North Park College, and the College of St. Benedict. On Friday, Wash. U. played Berea and North Park, and won both matches by scores of three sets to one.

Sells, Buckley, and senior Michaela Bach were the standouts in those matches. Sells had 16 kills and Buckley had 38 assists in the win over Berea. Bach, Wash. U.’s leader in kills last season, added 11 kills, an ace, and 14 digs.

Then in the match against North Park, Bach did almost everything for the Lady Bears. She had a team-high 14 kills, two aces, two blocks, an assist, and 12 digs.

In the final match of the weekend, against St. Benedict on Saturday, Bach was again the leader for Wash. U., as she posted 13 kills and 10 digs in a three sets to none sweep. Sells had 11 kills and Buckley finished with a match-high 30 kills.

The Lady Bears will be back in action on Wednesday, September 7, when they’ll host another non-conference match against the University of Dubuque. That match will be played at the Wash. U. Field House and is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.