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Volleyball team knocks off Huskies in 5 games

Well, at least somebody can beat Washington.

The UA women's volleyball team (14-9 overall, 9-5 Pacific 10) completed season sweeps of both Washington and Washington State this weekend, increasing their Pac-10 conference winning streak to three matches.

"For us, we grew up as a team this weekend," UA head coach David Rubio said. "It was a brutal trip for us. To come away with two wins is a sign of how far we've come."

Friday night's match was a nail-biter, as UA defeated the Huskies (9-14, 5-10) 16-14, 15-2, 11-15, 11-15, and 21-19. The high score in the fifth and decisive game was due to an NCAA rule that states that a volleyball match must be won by two points. Friday's match marked the second-longest fifth game in UA history, the longest coming in a 24-22 loss to Arizona State in 1993.

"I knew that I hadn't coached in a game that went that long in a while," Rubio said. "I'm proud of our kids. They never backed down."

Lisa Rutledge had a team season-high 24 kills in a winning effort. Five Wildcats combined for 74 kills on the night.

In a game that was tied at nearly every point, the Wildcats prevailed, staving off two UW match point attempts en route to a 21-19 victory.

Sophomore setter Dana Burkholder had 74 assists Friday night, the fifth-highest such total in UA history. Freshman outside hitter Stefani Saragosa had 14 kills, ten digs, and seven blocks, coming just three blocks short of a triple double.

"She played great," Rubio said. "Dana and Stefani are finding a good rhythm together."

Saturday night saw the Wildcats make quick work of Washington State, sweeping the Cougars by the score of 15-11, 15-2, and 15-11. Beleaguered and undersized, WSU (12-11, 6-9) hit just .133 compared to the Wildcats, who logged a .297 hitting percentage. Junior middle blocker Marisa DaLee was 13-for-22 from the field, hitting .500 on the night.