Apple Cup Clash Starts Pac-12 Play Wednesday
THIS WEEK IN HUSKY VOLLEYBALL
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
#18 Washington vs. Washington State, 6:00 pm
Alaska Airlines Arena
Live broadcast on Pac-12 Networks National | Live Stats
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
#18 Washington at UCLA, 3:00 pm
Los Angeles • Pauley Pavilion
Live broadcast on ESPNU | Live Stats
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SEATTLE -- On the final day before fall, apples are in season. The Boeing Apple Cup Series starts Pac-12 play for the 18th-ranked Husky Volleyball team this Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. against the rival Washington State Cougars. The Bump Up The Jam night will feature a 90's theme as the squads look to get a leg up on each other in the opener stage of the 20-match conference race.
Wednesday's match will also be UW's first appearance this season on the Pac-12 Networks. After Wednesday, the Huskies will head for Los Angeles for just one match, taking on UCLA this Sunday, Sept. 25, in a nationally televised 3 p.m. battle on ESPNU.
The Dawgs are the two-time defending Pac-12 Champions, but each of their past two titles started with a conference loss, so UW is trying to buck that trend while keeping the end result the same. Washington has won two-straight Pac-12 titles on three occasions now, but a third-straight this fall would be an historic first.
Nonconference play concluded last weekend in Bozeman, Mont. with the Huskies getting three consecutive sweeps of North Texas, Montana State, and Boise State to improve to 8-2. Their two losses are both to teams currently ranked in the top-25.
Washington State also has only lost to teams currently in the top-25, with a loss to then-No. 10 BYU, and losses last weekend against then-No. 6 Minnesota and No. 22 Pepperdine. UW also had a loss against the Waves two weeks ago. The Cougars (8-3) did take a set off the Gophers in Minnesota, and took Pepperdine to five. WSU finished with a nonconference best attack mark of .295, just ahead of UW's .293 mark. The two teams also rank second (WSU - 1.97) and third (UW - 1.89) in aces per set. All-American middle blocker Magda Jehlarova is hitting .351 with 1.23 blocks per set thus far. A senior transfer, Laura Jansen, leads WSU in kills with 3.36 per set but the Cougars also get 2.76 kills per set from All-Pac-12 Pia Timmer and 2.56 per set from Katy Ryan, who is hitting .299. Argentina Ung sets the team with 9.82 assists per set.