Tournament run ends for UW with 3-0 loss to Cal

Joseph Landor on December 15, 2010 in College Entry

They came together as a team, finding the right chemistry and making it all the way to the Elite Eight.

.

Senior Kindra Carlson, here in the UW’s Sweet 16 win over Nebraska, finished with 20 kills in Saturday’s 3-0 loss to Cal.

But last night, the Washington volleyball team ran into a Cal squad that simply had too much firepower and defensive prowess.

The unseeded Huskies fell in straight sets (25-21, 25-20, 25-14) to the seventh-seeded Golden Bears at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. The loss was Washington’s third to Cal this season and the second that came in straight sets. Cal will advance to take another Pac-10 foe in sixth-seeded USC in the Final Four.

“Cal played awfully well,” Washington head coach Jim McLaughlin said. “They pressured us and played a really complete game. We did not play as well as we are capable of.”

The Golden Bears outhit the Huskies .364 to .144 and outdug them 54-38. The only Husky who had much luck on offense was senior outside hitter Kindra Carlson, who had another fantastic effort with 20 kills on .450 hitting. Carlson and junior middle blocker Bianca Rowland were named to the Seattle All-Region team.

If not for Carlson, the Husky offense wouldn’t have had much life at all. Five Washington players were held to a negative hitting percentage, including outside hitters Becky Perry and Kylin Muñoz, who hit just -.032 and -.118, respectively.

To McLaughlin, Washington’s lackluster effort on offense might have had something to do with a hard-fought victory over Nebraska Friday night.

“I just thought our energy level didn’t match last night,” he said.

As they had done against Hawaii and Nebraska, Washington came out hot in the first set against Cal. The Huskies took a 13-8 lead on a Lauren Barfield block, which led to a Cal timeout. But after that, the Golden Bears took control, closing the set on a 17-7 run. Outside hitter Tarah Murrey led Cal with 15 kills on .306 hitting in addition to her 12 digs.

“They played great defense,” said senior setter Jenna Hagglund, who had 36 assists and seven digs in the last game of her Husky career. “They played a great match all around … They’re frustrating, and that’s the sign of a good team.”

Even though their season ended with a decisive loss, McLaughlin was still proud of his team.

“I think the pride comes from how this team changed everyday,” he said. “They changed as better teammates, and going in the gym with them was great. They worked harder than any group I’ve coached.”

The Huskies struggled through much of the season, finishing in fifth place in the Pac-10, but they played their best volleyball of the season in the tournament, knocking off 15-seed Hawaii and second-seed Nebraska.

For Washington’s three seniors – Carlson, Perry and Hagglund – the loss was a bitter way to end their time at the UW, where they never made a Final Four. But to Perry, there are bigger things than postseason success.

“What we learned here will be with us for life,” she said. “I think a lot of programs have girls that come out winning national titles and we never did that. But my character will be different for the rest of my life, and I’ll have love and family on this team for the rest of my life. And that might be a greater gift.”

Washington had an up-and-down season, but even with last night’s loss, in some ways, it still ended on a high note.

“This team went through a lot,” McLaughlin said. “Where we started, where we finished and all the stuff they accomplished individual and together as a group, it was a blast everyday.”

Similar Posts:

Share

Leave a Reply