In volleyball’s first conference match of the season, they escaped with a win in straight sets against the University of San Francisco.
Unlike in previous matches where WSU has started out slow, the Cougs got out to a 7-3 lead in the first set. Despite the Dons having a -1.0 hitting percentage, they were still within four points due to a pair of service aces by outside hitter Astrid Puig and a WSU service ace.
Wazzu eventually extended its lead to 20-13, being led by outside hitters Mary Healy and Eliana Ti’a who had already recorded three service aces and four kills respectively.
The Cougars eventually went on to win the set 25-19, but allowed the Dons to get within five at 23-18. Ti’a and middle blocker Lucie Blažková got kills for the Cougs’ last two points to win the set.
Lucie Blažková and Logann Golden stare at each other to celebrate, Nov. 9, in Pullman, Wash.
However, the story of the match for Wazzu up to that point was not its offensive production, but its struggles with serves. In the first set alone, they had six service errors and allowed five service aces.
This includes San Francisco’s Andrea Fabikovicová, a setter, at one point recording three service aces in four points to get the Dons back into the match. To put it in perspective, the Dons only had five kills in the first set, but still scored 19 points.
“[Our service mistakes] just kept their momentum going,” WSU head coach Korey Schroeder said. “We couldn’t get anything going on our side. We did a great job defensively once we got the serve… but the serve and pass game was not good enough for us.”
Heading into the second set, WSU had a .417 hitting percentage, while the Dons were still at .000. It did not seem to affect them, however, because they jumped out to a quick 6-1 lead.
The Cougs chipped away at the lead, eventually getting the Dons’ lead back within one at 12-11. Healy got the 11th point of the set for the Cougs, and followed it up by contributing to their next three points scored.
In a seven-point stretch, Healy contributed two kills, a block and a service ace. This helped keep the Cougs in the game, keeping USF’s lead within one at 15-14.
“Knowing that we’re able to change momentum like that just within a few points is huge, especially in tight games like that,” Healy said. “So I was just happy to be able to do it myself.”
The Cougs then tied the set at 18 apiece, which was the first time in the set they had not trailed. After a San Francisco time out, WSU went on a 4-3 run, forcing the Dons to take another time out. Up 22-21, the Cougs finished out the set with a kill from middle blocker Camryn Lingenbrink, and a kill and service ace from outside hitter Melina Christodoulou.
A WSU volleyball player goes up for a spike against Eastern Washington University on Sep. 19 2025
The third set saw the two teams go back and forth, with the Dons leading 9-7 before going on a 5-1 run to extend their lead to 14-8. The Cougs were struggling to stop right sides Shannon Knight and Hannah Taylor, and outside hitter Emilija Arsic who all recorded two kills in the third set up to that point. Knight and Arsic also combined for a block.
The Dons then extended their lead 19-14, and all hope seemed lost for the Cougs. Their hitting percentage had fallen to .222 from .263 at the beginning of the set, and they were forced to call a timeout. Immediately after the timeout, however, the Cougs came back looking like they wanted to finish the match in three sets. They went on a 3-0 scoring run and forced USF to call a timeout.
Out of the timeout, libero Tinons Munar Galmés hit a service error, extending the Dons’ lead to three, 20-17. But the Cougs countered this by going on a 5-1 run. On the run, they benefited from two service aces, an attacking error and an out-of-bounds violation by the Dons.
The Dons then tied the match up at 22 a piece with a kill from Taylor. However, ultimately what had been disastrous for the Cougs for most of the night just then went their way: serves.
After Taylor’s kill, the Dons gave a free point to the Cougs on a service error. Blažková proceeded to end the match by hitting back-to-back service aces. They had come back from being down 19-14 to eventually winning the set and the match.
“It’s a game of runs. So I think what helped us come back in the second set and even the third set [was] knowing [we were] in control and we [could] stay together,” Healy said. “And if we can stay together and do those things, then we can beat anybody.”
Schroeder added that he was glad they were able to contain the match to just three sets.
Korey Schroeder coaching the WSU volleyball team against Portland, Oct. 2, in Pullman, Wash.
“It was not very pretty volleyball on our end,” Schroeder said. “But we finished it in three [sets], so we’ll take it.”
The Cougs did finish the night with 15 service errors, but they knew it was a possibility going into the game. They wanted to put pressure on USF, knowing that they were a good team from the service line.
“We knew that they were going to be a good serving team. We know that we’re a good passing team. So we knew that we had to put the pressure on them from the service line,” Healy said. “Unfortunately, sometimes that means a few more service errors than we’d like. But being able to get the aces that we did and still come out with the win… we’re happy with the results.”
USF was contained to seven aces and also had 15 service errors.
The Cougs finished the night with 32 kills, the fewest they have recorded all season. Their leader in kills against USF, Ti’a, also only recorded eight kills, which is the lowest for a kill leader in a game by the Cougs this season.
They struggled offensively but managed to come through in the middle and end of sets to close the game out in three.
They did have 10 blocks however, their third highest in a game thus far.
They take on Santa Clara University at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow in Bohler. Like the Cougs, Santa Clara won their first game of WCC play yesterday, and are looking to remain undefeated.
