This contest was no different.

The No. 1 Bears could not overcome a seven-point deficit with 3:11 left in the game, losing 75-70 to Illinois Wesleyan University and ending the team’s run at a third straight national championship.

“We’ve won a lot of close games in our four years at Wash. U.,” senior co-captain Cameron Smith said, “and we have found a lot of different ways to make things happen throughout games, especially at the end of games: getting stops here, making big buckets there. This was just a game where we couldn’t make big plays happen at the end of the game. That was the only difference.”

Senior co-captain Aaron Thompson recorded 20 points in the game, but was limited in the game with foul trouble. Junior Spencer Gay had 14 points and 13 rebounds, but the Titans’ Sean Johnson scored 24 points.

A 7-0 run gave the Titans a 17-10 lead with 12:30 left in the first half. Turnovers and missed shots plagued the Bears, 2 of 9 from beyond the three-point arc in the period.

Thompson and graduate student Sean Wallis, a co-captain, were forced to sit through most of the first half because of foul trouble. The two combined for just four points and 18 minutes in the period.

With the Bears’ two leading scorers out of the game, the Titans maintained their lead.

“When you have two All-Americans on your team, and they’re both on the bench, it pretty much limits you, particularly when the team is used to counting on their scoring all year long and they’re not out there to give it to you,” Edwards said. “To me, that was the biggest problem we had.”

A layup with 1:18 left in the half gave the Titans an eight-point lead, its largest of the half, but the Red and Green managed to cut it just to three by halftime.

Thompson hit a three-pointer, his first of the night, only six seconds into the second period to tie the game. Gay gave the Bears the lead on the following possession, but it lasted only 23 seconds and would be the Bears’ only lead for the rest of the game.

“We were definitely capable of playing better than we did, but, at the same time, I’m not going to fault our kids,” head coach Mark Edwards said. “We got beaten by a team that was better than us that night. Whether they’re better than us overall, I don’t know, but they were that night.”

Sophomore Jordan Zimmer’s layup gave Illinois Wesleyan a 48-39 advantage with 14:18 left in the game. Aaron Thompson got the Red and Green within just one point at the 1:46 mark, but the Bears could not complete the comeback.

“It just seemed to me that we couldn’t get over the hump, couldn’t get the big stop that we needed when we needed it, and they just made some plays,” Smith said.

With the Titans up by just three with 15 seconds left, Doug Sexauer corralled an offensive rebound off a missed free throw. After he was fouled, his two free throws put the game out of reach.

“[The win] was definitely in our grasp,” Gay said. “The last play, there was a loose rebound, and we definitely had a chance, but it slipped out of our fingers.”

The loss snapped the Bears’ 14-game NCAA tournament win streak, and ended the careers of the winningest class in school history.

“We would be demeaning to the careers of our seniors and Sean [Wallis] if we focused upon just this one game,” Edwards said. “Obviously, in the locker room everybody was down, but that’s the emotion of sports. Once that wears off, and you look back at your accomplishments and what these guys have done together, you’ve got to feel good about that.”

“I’m sure in five years, when I look back at my career at Wash. U., I’m not going to remember this game, but right now it’s hard to think of much else, honestly, because you live for the game that you’re playing, not for your past successes,” Smith said. “Each game is the most important game you’ve ever played, so it hurts, but we’ll be all right.”

Junior Kathryn Berger scored 15 points to lead the Bears to a 58-50 victory over New York University on Sunday. (Cedric Xia | Student Life)

Washington University’s women’s basketball team may be known for its many offensive threats, but it was their defensive efforts that punctuated this weekend’s sweep.

The Bears (20-2, 10-1 UAA) defeated New York University 58-50 on Sunday and Brandeis Univesity 50-37 on Friday to maintain their one-game lead in the University Athletic Association standings over the University of Chicago. A sweep of the upcoming weekend guarantees a share of the UAA title.

Wash. U. 58, NYU 50

The Red and Green fought a tenacious battle with the Violets throughout the 40 minutes of play. Trailing 19-13 with only 3:21 left in the half, the Bears rallied behind junior Kathryn Berger. Berger made five of Wash. U.’s final seven points of the half to give Wash. U. a slim 20-19 advantage at the end of the first period. “People work very hard on this team from all different roles,” head coach Nancy Fahey said. “Both Berger and [Claire] Schaeperkoetter gave us big shots. It was a key time that they hit big shots. It had a huge impact.”

The Bears’ momentum was unabated as they scored another seven unanswered points to open the second half. Senior co-captain Janice Evans answered with a three-pointer soon after New York’s Chelsea Blake ended the Violets’ seven-minute scoring drought. NYU shot just 32 percent from the field.

Berger led the Bears with a season high of 15 points, including a 7-for-7 performance from the free-throw line. Sophomore Claire Schaeperkoetter recorded a career high of 14, and Evans chipped in 12.

Wash. U. 50, Brandeis 37

Wash. U. limited the UAA’s leading scorer, Jessica Chapin, to 13 points just a game before Chapin scored a school-record 36 points against Carnegie Mellon on Sunday. The Bears’ defense kept the Judges in check, limiting them to six for 24 from the field in the first half, as Wash. U. claimed a 22-13 lead at the end of the half. According to Fahey, junior Alex Hoover had the primary responsibility for guarding Chapin, but a team effort was needed to contain the offensive threat.

The Red and Green ran out of the locker room and extended their lead to a 19 off a jumper by Berger, never letting the Judges get within single digits.

On the offensive side, senior Zoë Unruh notched her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Evans scored 12.

Prior to Friday’s game, Wash. U. plans to honor seniors Unruh, Evans and Stacey Niese. “It’s a body of work that is recognized on Senior Night, not only from the wins and losses, but their impact on the team on and off the court,” Fahey said. “We challenge our seniors to be special. I think this group has done a great job.”

Several student groups have planned auxiliary activities throughout the weekend’s action. As part of George Washington Week, free shirts will be given out at the women’s game. Friday’s action is also part of EnWeek and Greek Weekend. Sorority and fraternity chapters present by halftime at the women’s game against Case Western Reserve University will be able to select representatives to compete in various halftime contests. Greek organizations are also being challenged to have the highest attendance at the Friday women’s game and the Sunday men’s game.

The Red and Green return to the Field House for the last time this season with a game against Case Western University at 6 p.m. on Friday and Carnegie Mellon University at 1 p.m. on Sunday. “From our standpoint, every game we have to come out and be sharp,” Fahey said. “We don’t have any wiggle room.”

Players could not be reached for comment.

Sophomore Dylan Richter drives past a Rochester defender on Feb. 5. Richter scored 12 points against Brandeis on Friday. (Cedric Xia | Student Life)

Revenge is a dish best served cold. But in a rematch against No. 21 Brandeis University, the No. 3 Washington University men’s basketball team was far from cold. Shooting a combined 56.7 percent from the field during this past weekend, the Bears grabbed two more conference wins.

“Offensively, we were in a slump for a little while,” sophomore Dylan Richter said. “I guess we all collectively decided to get that out of the way now, so we’ll be ready for tournament time. We knew it was going to come to us, so it was just a matter of time before everything started clicking again, and the past two weekends it has.”

Friday’s matchup at Brandeis gave the Red and Green a chance to avenge a Jan. 15 home loss. Graduate student Sean Wallis led the team with a career-high 29 points, while senior Aaron Thompson added 25.

“They’re a very good team, there’s no doubt about that, and we had to play a great game…in order to beat them,” Wallis said. “Scoring a career high was icing on the cake, but I was just happy to get out of there with a win.”

The Judges maintained a small lead early in the first half, before Wallis’ three-pointer tied the score at 16 with 12:33 to go. The Bears would lead for the rest of the game.

Thompson’s three-pointer gave the Bears a 12-point lead with little more than five minutes left in the first half. The lead would remain into halftime, with the Bears ahead 44-32 at halftime. In the first half alone, Wash. U. shot 66.7 percent from the field (18 of 27).

“A lot of [the success] has to do with good shot selection,” head coach Mark Edwards said. “Our kids have been executing the offense well, and we’ve been ending up getting the shots we’re very comfortable taking.”

While the shots continued to rain in the second half for the away team, Brandeis picked up on the offensive end as well, cutting the lead down to just four points with 12:25 left in the game. More long-range shooting, however, pushed the Bears back out to a 72-57 lead.

“Aaron Thompson and Sean Wallis have been playing outstandingly for the past few months, so teams really key in on them, which gives everyone else the opportunity to roam around a little bit more and get a little bit more open,” Richter said. Richter had 12 points in the game.

The Judges mustered another run late in the half, but the lead was too much to overcome. The Red and Green left Waltham, Mass., with a 92-82 win.

“You never want to lose, especially on your home court, so when they beat us there, we knew we had to turn around and beat them back for that,” Richter said.

The Bears showed much of the same offensive success in Sunday’s matchup against New York University. Thompson again scored 25 points, with junior Spencer Gay adding 16. Wallis had 13 points and seven assists.

The Bears never trailed against the Violets, tying only twice in the game: 2-2 with just a minute into the game, and 11-11 with 11:37 to go in the first half.

A five-point halftime lead exploded in the final 20 minutes of play. Three straight three-pointers from Thompson gave the Red and Green a 38-24 advantage in less than two minutes.

With 1:10 left, a layup from NYU sophomore Andy Stein cut what was once a 16-point lead down to just six. Wash. U., however, held on for the 71-63 win.

With this win, the Bears secured at least a tie for the conference championship. A win over Case Western Reserve University at home this Friday would clinch the Bears’ second straight University Athletic Association title.

“First of all, to be able to go through the UAA and have six of our seven road games completed and having won them all, I think that’s really big,” Edwards said. “You’ve got to win the UAA to be a legitimate contender for the national championship, or to get in the NCAA tournament, so that’s our goal.”

With the weekend victories, the Bears regained the No. 1 ranking in the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll.

Sophomore Dylan Richter scored 14 points to help defeat the University of Rochester on Friday. (Matt Mitgang | Student Life)

The Washington University men’s basketball team capped off a four-game road trip unscathed, highlighted by two victories this weekend against conference rivals University of Rochester and Emory University.

On Friday in New York, graduate student Sean Wallis led the squad in an 82-78 thriller over Rochester, tying his career high of 27 points and adding 10 assists.

“It was really important for us to continue this road trip with a win,” Wallis said. “I was able to get to the free-throw line and make some free throws. I wasn’t really thinking about the points or anything like that, just getting the team a win.”

The largest lead of the game was 10 points in favor of the Bears, but that lasted only 35 seconds. Bur the Bears’ smart plays and perseverance helped them escape the contest with a victory.

“We gave them a bunch of different looks that caused them problems,” head coach Mark Edwards said. “In the last few minutes of the game we didn’t have a true post on the floor. Even though our posts were playing pretty good, it just gave us a little more flexibility.”

Junior Spencer Gay chipped in with 15 points for the game, while sophomore Dylan Richter added 14.

After Friday’s win, the Bears headed to Atlanta to face Emory in a game that decided sole possession of the University Athletic Association conference lead. Drawing on experience in high-pressure situations, the Bears came away with a 65-56 win over the Eagles.

“We have an experienced team that knows what it’s like to play in this conference,” Edwards said. “They know that on Sundays you have to be just as sharp as you were Friday night or you’re going to get caught, especially when you’re playing somebody that’s already first place in the conference.”

“Knowing that the conference was on the line, I feel like it energized us a little bit,” Gay added. “One thing that we stress a lot is that the UAA championship is won on Sundays, so every Sunday we have to come out and play as hard as we can.”

With these two victories, the Bears improved their road record to 8-1 on the season, and have continued to assert their dominance away from home.

“I think it’s our ability to leave everything back in St. Louis— distractions, class,” Wallis said. “Now it will be nice to head home, play on our own court, and hopefully we will have the fans out to support us on Friday night.”

The Bears return to the Field House at 8 p.m. on Friday and noon on Sunday, and those two games will once again be against Rochester and Emory.

“It’s not going to be any walkover, and both teams are coming back ready because of what we did last weekend on their home courts,” Wallis said. “Obviously [last weekend] was a confidence builder, but at the same time, if we are not playing our game—playing well—we could come out on the other end [without the win].”

“To escape the top half of the conference with a 2-1 record is something we’re okay with,” graduate student Sean Wallis said. “We’re not thrilled about it, but it’s no reason to hit the panic button at this point.”

The Bears worked to keep up with the Judges in their Jan. 15 contest. An 18-14 Wash. U. lead at the 10:34 mark in the first half was quickly erased by a 14-1 Brandeis scoring run. Despite the 8:54 run, the Bears took only a 30-26 deficit into the break.

Both teams struggled to score in the second half. After battling back from a seven-point deficit, both the Bears and the Judges went cold. In the next 8:34, the teams scored only a combined six points. Junior Spencer Gay’s game-tying layup with only 12 seconds left in the game was the first field goal for the Red and Green in nearly 9:30 minutes.

“We didn’t necessarily get some of the looks we wanted to get, but I mean those are things that happen every season,” senior Cameron Smith said. “Every year you have times when you’re not playing your best and you’re making little mistakes.”

In overtime, down 55-53 with only 10 seconds left, Wash U. missed two crucial free throws, allowing Brandeis to escape with a victory. As a team, the Bears were 10 of 22 from the free-throw line.

A Jan. 4, 64-60 win over University of Chicago and a Jan. 17, 60-57 win over New York University could not have come closer.

After trailing by as many as seven points to the Maroons in the first half, a three-pointer from Wallis with 2:38 left in the period cut the lead 28-27.

Coming out of halftime with a 30-28 deficit, Wallis’s jumper with 18:14 remaining gave the Bears their first lead of the game. Wallis recorded 24 points in the contest.

“I just made a concerted effort to start trying to get to the basket a little more than I had been and…not just relying on my outside shot,” Wallis said. “It definitely was a more conscious [effort] on my part, but at the same time, it also is taking what the defense gives you.”

Minutes later, senior Aaron Thompson’s three-pointer gave the Bears a 39-38 lead. The Bears would stay ahead for the rest of the game.

Wallis and Gay led the Red and Green through another tough game against NYU, scoring 22 and 11 points, respectively. Gay scored the team’s first six points against the Violets, but the Bears were cold from the floor.

Wallis’s three with 16:35 left in the first half put the Bears on top 9-8. It was the only basket from behind the arc, with the Bears shooting 1 of 13 (7.7 percent) from long range and 9 of 29 (31 percent) from the field in the first half.

Despite the poor shooting, rebounding kept the Bears alive. Wash. U. out-rebounded NYU 26-14 in the first half, limiting the Violets to only one offensive board. Gay recorded nine rebounds in the win.

“Whenever I’m in the game, I try to focus on my energy and try to get the energy of [my teammates] up,” Gay said. “Most of that focuses on defense.”

The game was a back-and-forth battle in the second half, but Thompson’s layup with 4:18 left in the game gave the Bears a lead they would not relinquish.

For the next four games, the Bears are on the road, taking on UAA foes Case Western Reserve University (9-5, 1-2) at 8 p.m. (ET) tonight in Cleveland and Carnegie Mellon University on Sunday in Pittsburgh.

“We’ve just got to keep making steps forward on this road trip,” Gay said. “I feel like the other teams really know what to expect of us, so we’re not trying to send any messages. We’re just trying to get back on track.”

Senior Zoë Unruh, seen here in a Nov. 29 game against Rhodes College, led the Lady Bears to a 67-57 victory against Brandeis University on Friday. With seven wins over winter break, the team improved to 13-1 on the season and extended its win streak to 11. (Matt Mitgang | Student Life)

After a strong showing in its non-conference play, the No. 3 Washington University women’s basketball team began University Athletic Association play on the right note, taking out its first three opponents to run its season record to 13-1.

The Bears opened UAA play on Jan. 9 with a strangling 63-34 win against the University of Chicago, and followed up the next weekend with a 67-57 win against Brandeis University on Jan. 15 and a 70-50 win against New York University on Jan. 17.

The wins added to a streak that currently stands at 11 straight for the team.

“Having a good start in UAA is crucial, so it was really big that we took these three games,” senior Zoë Unruh said.

In the first game, the Bears’ defense locked down Chicago, forcing 29 turnovers and holding the visiting Maroons to a 22-percent field goal percentage. Graduate student Jaimie McFarlin led the way, recording eight rebounds, five blocks and three steals in addition to her 14 points.

Against Brandeis, five different players scored in double figures for the Bears, who jumped ahead 8-0 to start the game and never looked back. Unruh was the leading scorer with 15 points, while McFarlin added 13 and senior Janice Evans pitched in 12.

Wash. U. relied on another strong defensive effort against NYU. Midway through the first half, the Violets were held to a scoreless seven-minute stretch, helping the Bears jump ahead en route to another win in their final contest of the weekend.

“However you start, you want to be playing to your potential,” head coach Nancy Fahey said. “I think we all knew we should have a good start. We were trying to live up to some expectations, and that led to the kind of play we’ve been producing lately.

The Bears took advantage of 24 offensive rebounds, leading to 23 second-chance points. McFarlin’s double-double, with 12 points and 10 rebounds, was a key part of the team’s victory.

“Considering that NYU is one of the best rebounding teams in the UAA, it’s very helpful,” Evans said. “We knew we needed to beat them on the boards, and we did.”

The Bears will take their show on the road for the next four games. They face Case Western Reserve University on Friday, Jan. 22, in Cleveland, and Carnegie Mellon University on Sunday, Jan. 24, in Pittsburgh.

“We need to go on the road. It’s time,” Fahey said. “We need to experience a hostile environment. We need to prove that we can do it in different venues.”

Junior Taryn Surtees took first at the UAA championship and was named UAA Most Valuable Athlete for the second straight year. (Mary Butkus | WUSTL Photo Services)

Hometown: Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Major: Spanish/Biology

Taryn Surtees finished first with a 21:07 as the women’s cross country team won the 2009 UAA championship. Surtees earned the UAA Most Valuable Athlete title for the second year in a row and is the Student Life Athlete of the Week.

Student Life: When did you start running?

Taryn Surtees: I started running track in 7th grade. I ran the 800-meter race after finding that hurdles didn’t really work out for me. The year after I started running cross country as a last minute decision to stay in shape for track. However over time I began to appreciate cross country more and more.

SL: Out of three years running for Wash U., you’ve been the UAA most valuable athlete twice. How was it different the second time?

TS: Last year it was a lot more exciting. It was a really big goal of mine. However this year I’m a lot more focused on the team, I was worried more about how the team was performing at conference rather than just myself. It ended up putting a lot less pressure on me, which is when I run the best, so it was probably a big factor in my race time. Being the UAA most valuable athlete was more of a steeping stone to the greater goals I have this year.

SL: What are your personal goals for the season?

TS: I haven’t talked to the coach yet, but I am really hoping to be in the top 10 at nationals. I was hoping for top 5, and that’s still at the back of my mind, but there are a lot of variables and strong runners who are going to be there, so it’s really more realistic to aim for top 10.

SL: Is there a certain time you want to beat?

TS: Well at Oshkosh I got a 34 second personal best of 21:07, so breaking 21 minutes would be awesome. We have regionals at the same course as Oshkosh, so I hope I will do as well as I would like. But I’m definitely more focused on the team doing well. I was more worried about time when I was in track, but in cross country I’m a lot more focused on the team.

SL: How do you balance work, being a pre-med major, and running?

TS: It’s definitely a learning process, and without a doubt something that I’ve learned how to do with time. I used to feel really bad in freshman year when I couldn’t concentrate on my work on the bus because people were talking, but since then I’ve gotten a lot better at managing my time. I know that I won’t have my team forever so Id rather be spending time with them when I can at the meets, rather than worrying about work that I may be missing. We do run at 6:30 in the morning so that requires getting enough sleep, which can be hard when you have an exam the next day. It’s definitely a trade off between work and running, but I’m getting a lot better at balancing it with time.

SL: You’ve got another year after this. Do you think the Wash U girls can win UAAs again? And do you think you could get most valuable athlete again?

TS: I don’t know. Everything depends on being healthy, who’s in the conference, or if some crazy freshman comes out of nowhere, you never really know. A lot of things could happen. I don’t think we’ve ever had a three time champion at the UAAs, so I would love to be the first.

SL: Is there anything you want people to know about cross country that they may not know about?

TS: Yes! Races are six kilometers! So many people come up to me asking what event I run in cross country. Every cross country race is the same distance, 6K!

Cross country competes at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships on Nov. 14 in Oshkosh, Wis.

Sophomore Natalie Callaghan dribbles the ball in an Oct. 18 game against the University of Rochester. Callaghan scored the game winner against Brandeis University on Oct. 30. (Daniel Eicholtz | Student Life)

With this past weekend’s wins over Brandeis University and New York University, the No. 8 Washington University women’s soccer team held on to its top spot in the University Athletic Association standings.

After an intense but successful two-match sequence, the Bears have a week to rest injuries, including senior forward Caryn Rosoff’s lower calf strain, and gear up for the University of Chicago.

Wash. U. currently holds a one-point lead over the University of Rochester, and with one game left in UAA play, the Bears must defeat the Maroons to secure a share of the UAA championship and be guaranteed a NCAA tournament bid.

The Bears have not lost since a 1-0 decision to then-No. 6 Johns Hopkins University on Sept. 5.

Wash. U. 2, Brandeis 0

While the Bears’ first UAA matchup in 12 days ended with a win, it wasn’t the way they would’ve liked to start the long weekend and the final leg of league play, according to players. Rosoff, during the game, was pushed out of bounds and pulled her lower calf as her cleat became stuck in a grate in between the field and track.

Sophomore back Natalie Callaghan drew first blood 33 minutes into the first half. She received the ball from senior Elyse Hanly about 40 yards out from the Judges’ goal.

“The ball was passed back to me, and my teammates told me to cross it,” Callaghan said, “and I [did], and it went over the keeper’s head. I thought someone was going to flick it in, but it ended up just kind of going in on its own.”

While the Judges had many opportunities to score during the game, freshman goalkeeper Clara Jaques did not allow a ball past. The Judges’ offense outshot the Bears 15-13.

Senior Becca Heymann added another goal with 19 minutes left in the second half, off an assist from junior midfielder Julie Tembunkiart.

“[Tembunkiart] chased down a really long ball and miraculously got to it and made a cross to the near post about a yard or two off the endline and kicked it in,” Heymann said. With that goal, Heymann became the tenth most goal-scoring player in Wash. U. women’s soccer history.

Wash. U. 2, NYU 1 (OT)

In Sunday’s match, both teams were held scoreless in the first half, despite a 10-3 shot advantage for Wash. U. However, NYU found the back of the net first in the second half. During a shuffle in front of the goal, an NYU player fed the ball past Jaques five minutes in to make the score 1-0.

As the minutes waned and urgency loomed for the Bears, sophomore Lee Ann Felder was able to force the game into overtime on an unassisted free kick with 90 seconds remaining.

“Emma got fouled pretty close to the 18-yard-line. Becca [Heymann] and I were standing over the ball, and I decided to take it because I’m left-footed, and it was a good position for a left foot,” Felder said. “It went, luckily, into the goal and into the far post.”

With the score tied, the Bears went into their third overtime of the season. Only 1:28 into the extra time, Heymann yet again scored for the game winner.

The Red and Green face the University of Chicago on Saturday in Chicago at 1:30 p.m.

Correction Inserted-Bears must defeat Chicago.

Women’s soccer
(13-2-1, 5-0-1 UAA)

Best case: UAA champion if Wash. U. beats Chicago, Case defeats Rochester

Worst case: UAA Runner-up if Wash. U. loses to Chicago, Rochester defeats Case

The No. 8 women’s soccer team holds a one-point lead over the University of Rochester and defeated the Yellowjackets 2-1 in overtime on Oct. 18.

If Rochester beats Case Western Reserve University at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night and the Bears do not defeat Chicago, the Yellowjackets will win the conference. The Bears must beat Chicago for the outright title as Rochester defeated Emory. Emory tied with Wash. U. on Oct. 17. Two ties are worse than a loss, according to senior co-captain Becca Heymann.

Volleyball
(25-3, 7-0 UAA)

Best case: UAA champion if Bears advance to championship match and win

Worst case: Place in the top four of UAA teams if they fail to make the championship match

The No. 3 Wash. U. volleyball team defeated every UAA team in round robin play, earning the top seed in this weekend’s UAA championships. No. 4 Emory University is the top seed in the other pool. The Bears swept Emory (25-19, 25-17, 25-18) on Oct. 17. Wash. U. takes on NYU, Rochester and Case in pool A. The champions of both pools play for the UAA championship.

The Bears also are the top-ranked team in the region and have a good chance of hosting at least one round of the NCAA tournament.

Men’s soccer
(9-6-3, 3-3 UAA)

Best case: If all teams lose above Wash. U. lose and the Bears win, Wash. U. will still be in fourth

Worst case: If Emory beats Carnegie Mellon and Wash. U. falls to Chicago, the Bears will be in fifth place in the UAA standings

The Bears are currently in fourth place in the UAA rankings and face Chicago (4-1-1 UAA). With losses to Carnegie Mellon and Rochester, which lead the conference with a 5-1 record, the Bears have no chance of winning UAAs. Carnegie Mellon plays Emory, while Rochester is up against Case Western Reserve.

In terms of gaining an NCAA bid, beating Chicago, the fourth-ranked team in the Central Region, would give the Bears a quality win in their favor.

The postseason fate of both soccer teams and volleyball will be announced on Nov. 9.

The team took all four of its matches this past weekend at the University Athletic Association (UAA) Round Robin No. 2 in New York City, putting them at a perfect 7-0 mark in conference play for the season and guaranteeing them the No. 1 seed for the UAA championship tournament in November.

“[Clinching the No. 1 seed is] just the first step. It feels good, but it’s not the big goal that we’re looking for,” senior co-captain Erin Albers said.

The first victory, on Saturday morning, was undoubtedly one of the team’s biggest wins of the season, taking out archrival Emory University, ranked No. 3 entering the match, in straight sets (25-19, 25-17, 25-18). The Bears followed the victory by defeating New York University (25-15, 21-25, 25-17, 25-19) later in the day.

“The UAA showed why it’s regarded as the top Division III volleyball conference in America,” head coach Rich Luenemann said. “Our easiest match during the weekend was against the number-three-ranked team in America.”

Sunday brought two more victories for the team, as the Bears defeated the University of Chicago in the morning (25-17, 25-23, 25-19) and finished out the weekend by grinding out a five-set win over Carnegie Mellon (22-25, 25-21, 24-26, 25-21, 15-8).

Against Emory, the team put together its strongest effort of the season. The Bears dominated offensively, as Emory never came close to holding a lead late in any set. Sophomore Lauren Budde led the charge, registering 16 kills without having a single error.

The Bears put out another robust effort in their second contest of the day in their defeat of NYU. Albers led the offense this time around with 15 kills, while Budde and freshman Kelly Pang helped out on defense with 27 and 26 digs, respectively.

On Sunday, the team came out and made quick work of Chicago in three sets. While no player on the team registered more than nine kills, eight different players registered at least one. Freshman Marilee Fisher played a key part in setting up these kills, recording 28 assists.

The last match of the weekend proved to be the toughest for the Bears, needing all five sets to take out CMU. After being down two sets to one—losing two sets in which they committed 11 and 10 errors—the Bears’ offense led them to victories in the fourth and fifth set.

“I don’t pay that much attention to the stats, but that actually wasn’t one of our better games of the season,” Albers said.

The team has won 11 straight matches—16 in a row against Division III opposition—and has only dropped four sets in the process since Sept. 23.

With four regular-season home matches left, the team will try to extend their winning streak through Friday and Saturday, Oct. 30 and 31, with the Bears Classic II at the Wash. U. Field House. The Bears will face North Park University, Culver-Stockton College, Virginia Wesleyan College and Rhodes College. The team’s seniors will be recognized before the Culver-Stockton match at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.