The Cougars eked out a straight-sets win over the University of Idaho, while only playing eight different players. They won the first two sets by two points and the third by eight.
WSU head coach Korey Schroeder said the team has been dealing with injuries and that outside hitters Emerson Matthews and Mary Healy are in Canada trying out for the national team programs.
This forced the Cougars to run a two-setter system for the entire match, something WSU head coach Korey Schroeder said the team had only practiced Friday. Last time they ran a two-setter system against UI, they dropped a set.
WSU Setter Livia Ward (4) and Middle Blocker Naomi White (1) congratulating each other with high-fives during their match against University of Idaho, April 25, 2026.
That was not the case this time, as they got production from all eight players, the majority of whom played all six rotations.
Sophomore opposite Kate Hayhurst set the tone early for Washington State, recording four kills and a block in the first set. She added two more kills and a block in the last two sets.
The Cougars were fortunate to have her. She had strep throat all week and returned to practice yesterday.
“She just wanted to go out and play for her team…and do whatever she could…to help us win,” Schroeder said.
Haumea Marumoto also played a huge role, logging seven kills and a block. The junior outside hitter had recorded only six total career kills going into the match. She made her presence felt, particularly in the first and third sets.
After taking a 19-13 lead in the first set, Washington State allowed the Vandals to come back to tie it 24-24. Middle blocker Naomi White then put the Cougs up one with a push kill. Marumoto ended the set the next point by recording a block on the left boundary.
WSU Middle Blocker Naomi White (1) and Outside Hitter Haumea Marumoto (6) going for a block against University of Idaho, April 25, 2026.
In the third, the Vandals called a timeout while trailing 11-8. Out of the timeout, Maurmoto recorded three kills in the next seven points to help put the Cougs up 16-10. They went on to win the set 25-17.
The second set went back and forth and was characterized by the Vandals’ ability to fly around the court to dig up balls to extend rallies. This helped them win some contested points.
“[The Vandals are] a resilient group that…I don’t think they care who they’re playing. They’re going to go out there and play their heart out and try to keep every ball up,” Schroeder said.
The Cougs won the set 25-23 after Idaho outside hitter Kiana Greer misfired on an attack.
Greer caused problems for the Cougs all afternoon, however. She opened the second set with two service aces and recorded 12 total kills.
Part of the reason why WSU struggled to stop Greer was that she changed where she hit the ball. Schroeder said she and the Vandals hit the ball much more cross-court in this match than in the first, and that they had prepared for them to hit the ball down the line. He said it took the team “quite a while” to adjust to that.
The 3-0 win is the Cougars’ seventh-straight victory over the Vandals and caps off their spring season, where the team went 6-0. For Schroeder, the spring season was beneficial.
“Throughout the spring, there’s little things that you…really want to get better at,” he said. “Going down the stretch, I thought we still could have been playing better. But when I look back at where we were in January…we’re better. We’re better now than we…were then.”
