To celebrate the new-look Bohler Gym, WSU volleyball’s second win of the day had extra reason for celebration. The win marked the 100th win for head coach Jen Greeny and her staff at Bohler Gym, coming early in the 13th season of her WSU coaching career and middle blocker Magda Jehlárová broke the WSU record for total blocks in a career with 617.
No. 17 WSU (4-1, 0-0 Pac-12) took down Drake (1-4) in a four-set win 3-1 (25-16, 25-22, 17-25, 25-16). It was the first meeting between the two schools, with the Cougs now officially leading 1-0 in the series.
Drake is down to 0-3 on the season against ranked teams, losing earlier this season the then-No. 12 ranked Marquette and No. 24 ranked Western Kentucky teams, but remaining competitive in all three matches.
The Cougs showed out in front of a home crowd of around 950 who aided in causing 10 service errors for Drake.
“Winning is what we try and do every day, come and win, especially in Bohler [Gym]. The crowd was great tonight and it was really fun to see the student section in the new set of bleachers there in the Bohler Block,” Greeny said. “A lot of credit to the rest of the staff and the teams that we’ve had [to make this possible].”
In the first set, Jehlárová had two blocks to put her seven away from the program record, but her pace made it seem out of reach for this match. Lana Radakovic lead the way with three blocks and the team as a whole looked stronger on that front in the night game.
Iman Isanovic has a team-leading five kills, all other Cougs with a kill had one, which she turned into a 16-kill effort and .333 hitting percentage, the best offensive player for the Cougs on the night.
After a close win in the second set, Jehlárová got up to eight blocks and it seemed like a foregone conclusion that she would surpass the record in the third set. Karly Basham had 15 digs through the first two sets, with her defense playing a big role in the success of the team all match long.
“I felt really confident going into this match, I think our preseason and our previous matches we’ve played prepares us, especially defensively, to improve our range,” Basham said.
The third set was not pretty for WSU, who saw their hitting percentage as a team fall to .202, with all the momentum swinging in favor of the Drake side.
While they won the fourth set, the offense only managed to hit .207 as a team, not an ideal spot to be winning games.
“They might be the best defensive team we face all year. They are really, really good,” Greeny said.
Taking the stage of the fourth set though was Jehlárová officially breaking the record late, adding an additional block for good measure to sit at 617 total blocks on her career and in sole possession of the record for most total blocks in a WSU career.
“I’m really glad I managed to do it at home in the main opener. It was awesome,” Jehlárová said.
Beyond just Jehlárová, the moment was sweet for her teammates and coaches alike.
“Proud of her for breaking all those records, it shows what a tremendous player she has been for us and she has played a lot,” Greeny said.
Special was a word used by many to describe the moment and the career and impact Jehlárová has had on the program, with this just being the first of many records she is on pace to break during the 2023 season.
“The most special thing ever,” Basham said. “It’s just so special and I think it really being our last year makes it 10 times more special.”
With Basham and Jehlárová being two of the notable players returning for their fifth year of eligibility, Jehlárová said that she loves the recruiting class she came in with and is excited to be able to play one final season at WSU with them.
“We started together since freshman year. They are all my day ones and best friends and it is so much fun to play together,” Jehlárová said.
Other than her 10 blocks, Jehlárová had nine kills on a .529 hitting percentage, two service aces and one assist on the match. Basham had a team-leading and season-high 21 digs, and with Isanovic adding 11 and Pia Timmer 10 to be in the double-digit club, the Cougs had a season-high 58 digs as a team.
Following the two-win day for the Cougs, they finish the Cougar Invitational at 6 p.m. Saturday against Tulsa before starting the Cougar Challenge at 6 p.m. Wednesday against UC Irvine.
