Cougs fall in three to No. 8 Stanford
PULLMAN, Wash. -- Magda Jehlarova had a match-high seven total blocks including her 100th-career block solo but Washington State volleyball (15-7, 7-4) fell in three sets, 25-23, 25-22, 25-22, Friday night in a packed Bohler Gym.
The loss snapped a perfect 7-0 start to Washington State's 2022 home schedule and snapped a 12-match home winning streak. It was also the first loss for the Cougars this season in which they finished with more than their opponents as Washington State finished the match with a 12.0-10.0 edge in blocks as a team.
Stanford held Washington State to its lowest hitting night (.186) since a four-set loss at Colorado and the Cougars played from behind for most of the night as the Cardinal never trailed in either of the opening two sets.
Laura Jansen tied Jehlarova on the night for the team lead with 12 kills apiece and Karly Basham and Julia Norville each tied for the team lead with eight digs apiece.
The Cardinal jumped out to a 6-2 lead in set one but the Cougs were able to settle into an early rhythm and were back within two at 11-9 off of a quick 4-0 run. Katy Ryan grabbed two of her eight kills in the match to help Washington State even the match at 17-17 with a 4-1 run but Stanford answered with three-straight to go ahead, 20-17. The Cougs evened the opening set for a third time at 22-22 but Stanford edged back in front at the right moment to steal the opening set, 25-23.
The second set saw a total of six tied scores as the Cougs had a match-high 68 percent (17-of-25) success rate on sideouts in the set. Jehlarova had five of her 12 kills in the second set but the Cardinal hit a match-high .448 as a team in the second and again forced Washington State to play from behind for the majority of the set. WSU avoided one set point off a setter dump from Argentina Ung before Stanford pushed its lead to two sets with a 25-22 second-set win.
Washington State grabbed its first leads of the match early in the third set but Stanford again stole back momentum at critical moments late in the set, using a 3-0 spurt to go ahead, 22-19. The Cougs got one back on a Stanford serve into the net but were unable to hold off the Cardinal down the stretch, falling 25-22 in the third.
The Cougars will cap off their four-match home stand on Sunday as they host Cal (7-13, 0-10 Pac-12) beginning at 12 p.m. Washington State will make its Oregon trip next weekend beginning with Oregon State on Friday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m., followed by Oregon on Sunday, Nov. 6, beginning at 12 p.m.
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