A volleyball season has many ups and downs. Each weekend brings a different set of competition, from familiar University Athletic Association (UAA) foes to an array of high-level invitational tournaments across the country. This weekend, the Bears were tested by two Top-25 opponents at the Marty Petersen Invitational in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
For a team like the No. 10 WashU volleyball team, building consistency, playing together, and responding to adversity against a variety of play styles and opponents early in the season is vital to a run in the UAA and NCAA Tournament in November.
Last weekend, the Bears moved through their competition with ease. Facing four unranked opponents at home, WashU won all of its matches, dropping just two sets across the weekend.
Fast forward to this past weekend, when the Bears faced their first taste of elite Division III volleyball. Traveling to Wisconsin, WashU was challenged right away, facing off against the No. 2-ranked home team University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Titans in a Friday matchup on September 5th.
The Bears started off strong, winning four of the first five points, and fending off an Oshkosh run to take a 17-12 lead. The Bears were eventually able to close out the first set, with a key kill from junior Leah Oyewole securing the set. However, WashU struggled in the second set, giving up a 13-1 run before falling 25-13.
The third and fourth sets were both neck-and-neck, with no team leading by more than three points in either. Ultimately, the Bears would drop both with a score of 26-24. Despite a career high of 32 digs from junior Ellie Laird and 39 assists from Senior Sam Buckley, the Bears were unable to fend off the Titans' attack.
Still, Coach Vanessa Walby was impressed with the team's performance against a talented opponent.
"I was extremely proud of how tough we played against Oshkosh on Friday night," Head Coach Walby wrote in a statement to Student Life. "They're a really good, well-coached team, and I loved the grit and fight we showed. We played hard and never let up, and I think that carried into Saturday."
WashU played two matches on Saturday, the first against the No. 14 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The first three sets were a battle, with each decided by two points. The Bears dropped the first set 27-25, but bounced back to take the next two 25-23 and 27-25.
The fourth set was a huge change of pace from the first three, with CMS dominating to a 25-7 win.
"Honestly, CMS played unreal defense against us," Buckley wrote about the Athenas' fourth set performance. "They were making incredible saves left and right, and completely earned that set. All we could do was shrug and say 'next play'. After the set, we completely forgot about losing that badly and focused instead on the first points of the fifth set."
And that the Bears did. The Bears rallied back from an early deficit to take a 10-6 advantage, and traded points the rest of the way to eke out a 15-11 win.
Saturday's game featured vital contributions from the Bears' impressive class of first-years, with WashU's trio of Avery Reed, Isabel Campie, and Abby Krause each recording double-digit digs.
"Our freshmen are playmakers, plain and simple. They are workhorses who love the game and bring a fiery energy to our gym every day," Buckley wrote. "We would not be 6-1 without the impact they have already made on our program."
In the final match of the day, the Bears faced the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. While a late run and a service error cost the Bears the first set (25-23), they could bounce back and secure a 25-23 win before dominating the third set 25-11. A 25-16 loss in the fourth set required the Bears to play their tenth set of the day. However, fatigue was a non-factor, and the Bears were able to come away with a 15-11 win in the final set to take the match.
Along with the two five-set wins, Saturday was also notable for Buckley, as she recorded her 1,000th career dig. Buckley is only the second player in program history to record 2,500 assists and 1,000 digs, and ranks 6th and 26th all-time respectively in each category for the Bears.
"Sam has worked really hard in her role with our program," Walby wrote. "She shows up every day, gives her best, and pushes the people around her to get better. That's a big reason our team keeps growing. With how competitive and successful WashU Volleyball has been over the years, she's now part of some pretty elite company."
Buckley, however, was quick to credit her teammates.
"It's an honor to say the least," she said. "Volleyball is not an individual sport, so I would not be in this club if it weren't for my hard-working teammates."