Dan DaranciangIn last week’s poll, Washington University was unanimously voted as the top team in Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. The squad defended their position with great success in the first round of University Athletic Association (UAA) conference play this past weekend. While winning all of their conference matches, the Bears also extended their undefeated record to 15 games.
In their first match against Carnegie Mellon University, the Bears easily triumphed, winning the match in three games (30-23, 30-13, 30-21). Carnegie Mellon enjoyed a rare lead in the first game, before the Bears went on an 8-1 run. Junior middle hitter Whitney Smith and senior setter Kara Liefer led the Bears offensively with seven kills each, while freshmen Nikki Morrison and Ali Crouch contributed four and three kills, respectively.
“Our second team has beenÿa huge reason for our success,” said Head Coach Rich Luenemann.ÿ”They’re a very talented team in their own right and continually push the first team in practice.”
The match against University of Chicago posed no challenge for the Bears, as they routed the Maroons in three games (30-8, 30-13, 32-30). In a team effort, the Red-and-Green compiled a season-high 16 service aces against Chicago, with senior defensive specialist Nicole Hodgman leading the way with four.
“Two weeks ago we targeted serving as a skillÿwe had to improve.ÿA missed serve is simply a lost point. We’ve made great strides, and we’ll get better,” said Luenemann.
The offensive stars were shining again against Chicago, as Smith, sophomore Haleigh Spencer, and senior Megan Houck each had stellar numbers against the Maroons.
“Our offense has been a pillar of strength,” continued Luenemann. “Our team attack percentage hovers around .350, and that’s outstanding, particularly when considering theÿquality of our opponents so far this season. Our .350 stat is akin to a baseball team hitting .450.”
Smith led the way with 16 kills, while Houck added seven kills of her own. Spencer tallied six kills on nine attempts.
The next match, against Brandeis University, returned the same results as WU went on to win 3-0 (30-17, 30-16, 30-25). Morrison led the Red-and-Green with an efficient nine kills in 11 attempts. Sophomore Emilie Walk also contributed to the kill total and percentage with seven kills in nine attempts. Liefer continued her rock-solid, all-American play with 27 assists, four kills, three blocks, and five digs in just two games.
“Our tournament draw this weekend didn’t find us playing the tougher teams in the UAA,” explained Luenemann. “The second round robin at Washington University will be a much more spirited competition.ÿWe’re slated to face both NYU and Emory in back-to-back matches, and it would be great to see a huge Bears crowd in the stands as we face top-25 ranked competition.”
With a UAA championship, WU will not only receive an automatic bid to the post season, but will also extend a conference championship streak that extends back to 1989.
“This team is a hungry team.ÿ If we’re fortunate enough to win the UAA championship, they won’t rest after that.ÿIn fact, I think they’ll take their focus and energy to an even higher level,” said Luenemann.
The Bears return to action at home this weekend in the Bears Classic, where they will face off against Westminster College and University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on Friday, and Baldwin-Wallace College and Wydown rival Fontbonne University on Saturday.