As the fall semester gets into full swing, WashU sports made their return to competition this weekend. Though football, cross country, and women’s golf wait until next weekend for their 2024 debuts, WashU’s soccer teams and volleyball kicked off their season over the weekend. 

Despite the loss of several key contributors, the Bears’ core remains intact entering the 2024 season.

Coming off of wins against some of the top teams in the nation, WashU entered the UW-Whitewater Invite with high hopes. Facing unranked Saint Benedict in the first match, the #7-ranked Bears exuded confidence. However, the team quickly dropped consecutive sets despite great defense from Libero Ellie Laird and aces from all over the team

While freshman college athletes sparsely play their first year, Sam Buckley isn’t like most. Last year for the women’s volleyball team, Buckley was named All-UAA First Team and UAA Rookie of the Year. She also helped power the team to a 30-6 record and second round appearance in the NCAA tournament.

In a weekend to remember, the Washington University volleyball team left its mark in California. The Bears — who traveled to the Golden State to compete in the East to West Invitational — battled through tough opposition for three impressive victories, including two wins over teams ranked top 10 in the nation.

The team played out-of-conference foes North Central College and #23 Otterbein University to kick off the Bear Invite — a tournament that was hosted at WashU this past weekend — Friday night. It won both games with a scoreline of 3-1 against North Central and swept #23 Otterbein. 

From football to soccer and cross country, athletes and coaches have never been more excited to step back onto the field and compete with some modicum of normalcy.

One of two seniors on the team, Knapp was third in the UAA in assists per set last year. She would likely have surpassed 3,000 career assists this year, vaulting herself even further into the University’s top 10. 

The Bears Volleyball faced Claremont-Mudd-Scripps earlier this year and lost a close, hard-fought match. Their match this past weekend reflected the first one on Sept. 13.

The playoff fate of the Washington University volleyball team now rests with the NCAA tournament selection committee. After sweeping Case Western Reserve University in the first round of the University Athletic Association tournament, the Bears could not beat No. 1 Emory University on Friday afternoon to advance to the UAA title match and vie for an automatic bid to the tournament.