Junior Leah Oyewole and senior Sam Buckley were named All-Americans after the season. (Rachel Benitez-Borrego | Staff Photographer)

With 5 points left to save the match against No. 5 University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, WashU turned subbed in three underclassmen: junior libero Ellie Laird, sophomore outside hitter Ela Bartu and first-year middle blocker Nia Jones. They glanced toward senior captains Anna Freeman and Sam Buckley before stepping on the court, exchanging a nod before the final push. But two Oshkosh kills buried WashU in their final resting spot of the 2025 season: the Sweet 16. As the whistle blew, signaling the end of the match and season, the underclassmen stood a minute longer, exchanging a look that said, “Next year, we finish what the seniors started.”  

“I think we’ve had a lot of depth on our bench, and we’ve had a young group that’s had to play different roles this season,” head coach Vanessa Walby said in a press conference. “I think they’ve worked really hard together to get to this point and really push each other every day to keep improving.”

Saturday’s loss came after dominant first and second round wins against the College of Saint Benedict and the No. 22 University of Dubuque, with the Bears not dropping a single set in either. The match against Saint Benedict was fueled by Buckley’s 11th double double of the season and Laird’s 20 digs, followed by the Bears .341 attack percentage against Dubuque. 

Their momentum, however, could not translate into their Sweet 16 game against Oshkosh, as the Bears fell 3-0, cementing them as a top 16 ranked team nationally for the 2025 season. 

WashU v. Saint Benedict, 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-20) 

WashU opened their first NCAA tournament game with a 5-point run fueled by three assists from Buckley. Saint Benedict retaliated with a 5-point run of their own, only for the Bears to answer with another 5-point streak, pushing the score to 10-5. The Bears remained in control throughout the middle of the set, stringing together a 4-point run ignited by a kill from junior right side hitter Leah Oyewole. Capitalizing off two attack errors and two service errors, the Bears were able to hold off the Bennies and coast to a 25-16 first set clinch. 

WashU quickly gained a small 2-point lead in the second set, but struggled to shake off Saint Benedict. The Bennies responded with a 7-point run, taking a 12-9 lead. They maintained their lead, profiting off of an attack error from the Bears. WashU, not prepared to give up the set, retaliated with a 5-point run, bringing the score up to 17-14. The Bennies pulled even with two service aces, but WashU ultimately gave the final push to close the set out 25-22. 

Saint Benedict and WashU tied the set early on at 2-2. Both teams kept the score close, neither letting the opponent get ahead by more than one. The Bennies executed a small run, profiting from two kills and two attack errors to bring the score to 8-4. A service error from Saint Benedict gave WashU the momentum to tie the score. WashU maintained a lead after a 3-point run and held control the rest of the way, closing their first tournament game at 25-20. 

WashU vs. No. 22 Dubuque, 3-0 (26-24, 25-23, 25-17)

Despite falling behind early on a 4-0 Dubuque run, the Bears climbed back to tie the game at 10, and it remained close from there. Dubuque slowly pulled away down the stretch, taking a 24-21 lead over WashU for the set point. Down to their last point, the Bears stayed focused and executed against a challenging opponent, clinching the set 26-24 with 5 unanswered points.

“Anything in our regions are always going to be really difficult just because the Midwest is so competitive,” Walby said. “And so I think we prepare knowing every day that it’s going to be like that.”

That preparation certainly paid off. The Bears clawed back from a 4-1 Dubuque lead in the second set and kept the score close. However, this time it was WashU that took the late lead. Despite the Spartans spoiling 2 set points, WashU held on to win the set in another close victory, 25-23.

The third set, however, was a different story. WashU seized an early lead and never let go, maintaining a 5-point lead for most of the set. Strong showings by Oyewole and junior right side hitter Naya Ohuabunwa boosted the Bears’ dominant offense, which put up an impressive .341 hitting percentage. 

After Jones sealed the 25-18 victory with a perfectly-placed kill, the WashU bench ran onto the court to celebrate with her, and for good reason — the last time the Bears made the Sweet 16 was in 2016.

“I think this is all of our first time making it past the second round, which is really sweet,” Oyewole said. “We played a really tough opponent and so it’s just really nice to get past … this threshold.”

WashU vs. No. 5 UW–Oshkosh 0-3 (18-25, 17-25, 20-25)

WashU came into the game against fifth-ranked Oshkosh knowing that it wouldn’t be easy, but ready to accept the challenge. 

“I think it is a privilege to be here and know that the caliber [of opponents] is just going to keep getting better and better,” Walby said.

Although WashU scored first, it was the only time they would hold the lead, and the Titans’ offense quickly overpowered the Bears. While a late 4-0 run by WashU brought the deficit back down to 5, it was too little too late. The Bears dropped the next 2 points to lose the set 25-18.

WashU roared back to take an early 7-5 lead in the second set, propelled by a 4-point serving run by first-year setter Isabel Campie. However, Oshkosh ultimately came out ahead, scoring 12 of the last 15 points of the set to defeat the Bears 25-17.

The Bears answered Oshkosh point-for-point in the third set, coming back to tie the game at 8, 9, and 11 points. A series of small runs by both teams kept the game close until the very end, where Oshkosh edged out WashU to win 25-20.

While this loss marked the end of WashU’s season, their tournament was not without success. Both Buckley and Laird were named to the All-Tournament Team after their impressive performances. Most significantly, the Bears made it to the third round — their deepest run since 2016.

However, the NCAA tournament was only a small part of what has been an impressive season for the Bears, who went 24-9 on the year and placed second in the UAA tournament. When asked about her term during the press conference, Walby had a lot to praise.

“They’ve stuck together throughout [the season] and each day they come in ready to learn and ready to grow,” Walby said. “They’ve sacrificed a lot together as a group, and I think they’ve worked really hard together to get to this point.”