Junior hitter Lucy Davis goes up for a kill during Wednesday’s home match against Fontbonne. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| NCAA Volleyball | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fontbonne (8-6) | 21 | 17 | 25 | 12 | (1) |
| #12 WashU (11-5) | 25 | 25 | 18 | 25 | (3) |
Nora Nichols
Staff Writer
CLAYTON, MO — After a 10-day hiatus, following a trip to Cleveland for the UAA Round Robin #1, the No. 12-ranked Washington University women’s volleyball team took on and took down Fontbonne University, for a four set victory (25-21, 25-17, 18-25, 25-12), Wednesday night at the WashU Field House.
With the win, WashU is now 11-5 on the season, while the Fontbonne’s record fell to 8-6.
The Bears looked every bit like a refreshed team, as they dominated every aspect of the match, kills (59-41), aces (5-4), assists (56-37), digs (91-87), and hitting percentage (.220-.087).
Junior hitter Jasmine Sells posted her team-leading 12th double-double of the season. She finished the night with 19 kills and 15 digs, to go along with four blocks.
Fellow juniors Zoe Foster and Lucy Davis also had nice nights. Foster had 12 kills and two blocks, and Davis had nine kills.
Sophomore Sam Buckley compiled a match-high 50 assists and finished off her ninth double-double of the year with 16 digs.
On the defensive side of the ball, senior Alden Standley earned a team-high 20 digs. Junior Elise Gilroy added 16 digs.
In the first set, thanks to three straight Bear kills, WashU doubled-up the Griffins, 8-4. In the three-point run, the Bears saw two kills from Davis and a kill from Foster. Later in the frame, WashU held the 15-10 cushion after a Fontbonne attack error. However, a string of Griffins points cut WashU’s lead to just one, 19-18.
With the score tied at 20 all, a Fontbonne service error and a first-year Lead Oyewole kill gave the Bears some breathing room as the score stood at 22-20. After a Fontbonne point, WashU recorded the final three points on a Sells kills, a senior Lily Steinbach kill, and a Griffins attack error.
In the second, a slow start plagued the Bears as Fontbonne welcomed a quick 5-1 lead. WashU was able to knot the score at 8-8 via a Griffins ball handling error. A point later, the Bears went on a five-point run to secure the 13-9 cushion. The run featured three kills and two Fontbonne errors.
After earning the 13-9 lead, WashU never relinquished the advantage. Another five-point produced a wide, 24-15, lead. At set point, Foster dialed up a kill to push the Bears past Fontbonne in the second, 25-17.
The Griffins raced out the 11-3 lead in the third. WashU tried to mount a ferocious comeback as the home team trimmed the deficit to three, 20-17. Ultimately, Fontbonne took the third by a final of 25-18.
Fontbonne held the slim, 7-6, lead in the fourth. However, the Bears assembled an eight-point run to enjoy the 14-7 advantage. The run was highlighted by three straight Foster kills. With WashU out in front by a score of 14-11, the Bears one-upped their eight-point run by securing a nine-point run to open up the 23-11 lead. A block by senior Paris Nix and Sells ended the set and match with a 25-12 fourth set WashU victory.
This weekend, the Bears will be on the road, with a trip to the Windy City for a trio of matches.
On Friday, WashU will play No. 20 North Park in a UAA conference match. Then on Sunday, the Bears will play in the UAA Round Robin #2, with matches against host Chicago and then Carnegie Mellon.
The Bears will be back in town next weekend to host the WashU Invite, which will include matches against DePauw, Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Simpson, and Illinois Wesleyan.
WashU sports information contributed to this story.
2023 WashU Bears Women’s Volleyball Schedule
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 6, 2023 (Friday) | 7 p.m. | Away | #20 North Park | Chicago, Ill. |
| October 8, 2023 (Sunday) | 12 p.m. | Away | U. of Chicago | Chicago, Ill. |
| October 8, 2023 (Sunday) | 2 p.m. | Neutral | Carnegie Mellon | Chicago, Ill. |
| October 13, 2023 (Friday) | 5 p.m. | Home | DePauw | WashU Field House |
| October 13, 2023 (Friday) | 7 p.m. | Home | Wisconsin-Oshkosh | WashU Field House |
| October 14, 2023 (Saturday) | 10:30 a.m. | Home | Simpson | WashU Field House |
| October 14, 2023 (Saturday) | 2:30 p.m. | Home | Illinois Wesleyan | WashU Field House |
| October 22, 2023 (Sunday) | 9 a.m. | Neutral | Rochester | Waltham, Mass. |
| October 22, 2023 (Sunday) | 1 p.m. | Neutral | Emory | Waltham, Mass. |
| October 26, 2023 (Thursday) | 7 p.m. | Home | Webster | WashU Field House |
| November 1, 2023 (Wednesday) | 7 p.m. | Away | Westminster | Fulton, Mo. |
| November 4, 2023 (Saturday) | 3:30 p.m. | Neutral | Hendrix | Decatur, Ill. |
| November 4, 2023 (Saturday) | 6 p.m. | Away | Millikin | Decatur, Ill. |
| November 10-12, 2023 | TBA | Neutral | UAA Championships | Atlanta, Ga. |