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Rebels Knock Off Cougars

by wsucougars.com
Sep 4, 2021

LAS VEGAS – The No. 25 ranked Washington State Cougars were taken down on the road to wrap up the Rebel Challenge by host UNLV in four sets Saturday evening. 

Set scores from the match were: 22-25, 25-21, 19-25, and 22-25 in favor of the Rebels (3-2, 0-0 Mountain West).

Washington State opened this nonconference matchup on a positive note, posting a quick 4-2 scoring run over the Rebels. The early scoring was led by a Pia Timmer kill along with a Magda Jehlářová service ace. UNLV was just as quick to counter in this first set, recording a 12-4 overall run to jump out to a 19-14 advantage. The Cougs kept fighting late into the game however, as WSU took advantage of UNLV errors and Kalyah Williams began to get her offensive attack going with a kill. The Cougars kept clawing their way back into this set, as kills from Penny Tusa, Katy Ryan, and Williams saw the score as 24-22 down the stretch, but the Rebels were able to hold on for the set one win overall at 25-22. UNLV just edged out the Cougs in that first set, hitting .143 overall as a team compared to .088 of WSU.

Set number two featured the Rebels still riding their wave of momentum, beginning with a 4-0 scoring run as UNLV recorded four consecutive kills. The Cougs once again were able to fight right back against the home squad as Ryan recorded a solo block and Argentina Ung posted a kill of her own to end the run. Washington State found a groove of their own to post a 6-2 scoring run to tie up the set at 10-10, featuring numerous UNLV errors, along with strong kills from Williams and Tusa. The Cougars found themselves trailing UNLV by a slim margin but generated a 6-1 run to ultimately take the lead late at 21-19 overall. Ung contributed to the scoring in multiple facets as she totaled a kill and a service ace. Jehlářová would find the floor twice late in set two and see the Cougars up 23-20, as WSU looked to finish off UNLV and tie up the match. Logann Golden went on to finish off the set with her second service ace of the contest for the 25-21 WSU win.

These two squads began set three with an intense battle of trading points, as neither could find room to take more than a point or two advantage over the over. Early offensive stars in this set for WSU was Williams, Jehlářová, and Ung who all tallied a kill to start this third set of play. The Rebels did find that bit of separation midway through the third game, going on a 5-1 scoring run to force a WSU timeout and UNLV would hold the 15-13 lead. Both the Cougars and Rebels would make crucial errors down the stretch of this set, but UNLV went on to generate a 5-1 run, which included two services aces, to win set three 25-19.
 
Set number four began much like the third, until the Cougars went on a quick 3-0 scoring run fueled by a PIa TImmer kill. UNLV countered immediately with a 5-1 run of their own to take over the lead at 15-13. These two programs continued to trade points late into the set, until back-to-back Timmer kills saw Washington State within one point, down 21-20. The Rebels continued to be able to heat up quick in short spurts, going on a 4-2 run to cap off the set win at 25-22 and win the match at 3-1 overall. 
 

INTO THE TWITTER-VERSE
 

 

MATCH NOTES

  • The Cougars saw both Magda Jehlářová and Hannah Pukis earn Rebel Challenge All-Tournament Team honors. 
  • Magda Jehlářová led the Cougars offensively with 11 total kills, and went on to hit .476 overall. She also tallied four total blocks and one ace. 
  • Freshman Katy Ryan recorded a solid defensive match with one solo block and five block assists to help anchor the Cougs.
  • Julia Norville and Logann Golden led the WSU ground defensive game as Norville finished with 15 digs and Golden with 11. 
  • Washington State will hit the court next, Thursday, Sept. 9 in a nonconference match against Long Beach State from Bohler Gym at 6 p.m. WSU will be hosting the Cougar Challenge and also welcome LBSU Northern Iowa and Gonzaga for the two-day tournament.

     

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