Washington State volleyball sweeps UNLV to advance in NCAA Tournament

From staff reports

SAN DIEGO – The Washington State women’s volleyball team seized control and never gave it back.

Pia Timmer totaled 14 kills and the No. 7-seeded Cougars rolled to a 26-24, 25-19, 25-18 victory over UNLV in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.

The Cougars (23-9) will face either No. 2 seed San Diego or Northern Colorado in the second round Friday at 7:30 p.m. Those two played late Thursday.

UNLV (26-5) gained a 24-23 lead in the opening game following Jordyn Freeman’s kill, but Timmer responded with a kill to even the score at 24.

The Rebels were undone by their service return on the ensuing point, and UNLV’s Chloe Thomas’ hitting error on game point allowed WSU to escape with a one-set lead.

The Cougars pulled away early in the second game before UNLV rallied. The Rebels clawed within two points multiple times, including 21-19 following Isabel Martin’s kill.

Laura Jansen, the only other Cougar in double figures in kills with 11, gave WSU a 22-19 advantage with a kill, and Alyssa Muraoka’s ace stretched the Cougars’ lead safely to four. In the third game, Jansen posted a pair of kills in a four-point spurt that turned a 19-16 lead into an insurmountable 23-16 advantage.

Katy Ryan added nine kills, and Argentina Ung contributed 31 assists for the Cougars.