WSU will recognize half of their 2023 senior class ahead of Friday’s match, four of eight, with some of the most impactful senior classes in volleyball program history will get their moment in the limelight. Magda Jehlárová, Pia Timmer, Julia Norville and Peyton Claus will be the first group of recognized players, with the match starting at 7 p.m.
After the senior night festivities, WSU volleyball (19-6, 9-5 Pac-12) will play against UCLA (14-10, 6-8). The two programs matched up earlier this season, where in a Oct. 22 match in Los Angeles, the Cougs took down the Bruins 3-1 (25-22, 26-28, 25-10, 25-20).
As a team, WSU hit .272%, carried by their third and fourth sets performances. WSU hit .368% in their dominant third-set victory and hit .361% in their final set to close out the win. Defensively, the strongest offensive performance was supported by their strongest defensive set. In that third set, the Bruins hit -0.071%.
Two of the seniors to be recognized Friday dominated in the Cougs previous win. Timmer led the team with 19 kills on an efficient .313% hitting, finishing with 10 digs for a double-double. Jehlárová finished second with 14 kills on .545% hitting and had six total blocks in the win. Norville also played well, with a second on the team finish with 11 digs.
WSU out-aced the Bruins 10–1, one of their best ratios in quite some time.
Starting the second half of Conference play, the Bruins have won two of three, sweeping Arizona and Colorado but being swept by Colorado. On the contrary, the Cougs have lost two of three. WSU lost in five sets to Oregon State in an upset, taking a set off Stanford but sweeping Cal.
In the history between the two programs, the Bruins lead big with a 60-13 all-time record in the series, but the Cougs can pick up their fifth win all-time in Pullman. With a 4-31 record entering Friday’s match, Jen Greeny and the team will look to pick the mini-accolade win. With a win, they will get their first season sweep since 2016 over UCLA.
WSU will get that chance at 7 p.m. Friday in Bohler Gym.
