SEATTLE – Washington’s bubble did not burst, floating its way into the NCAA Championships where the Huskies will go to work this Friday, Dec. 6 against Loyola Marymount in a match held at Stanford. The Dawgs were one of the final four teams to make the field of 64, but now that they’re in, they’ll look to stay awhile and do some damage.
It’s the 22nd time in the past 23 years that UW has qualified for the NCAA Volleyball Championship, and starts a new streak after the Huskies missed out last season for the first time since 2001. Head Coach Leslie Gabriel got the Dawgs back into the dance in her second season at the helm. It will be Washington’s 28th NCAA appearance all-time.
“I’m super excited for the players,” said Gabriel, who was an assistant coach on the previous 21 NCAA trips this century. “This was a goal that we set for ourselves in January. We wanted to get our program back into the tournament, so I’m super excited to get back in, and we’ll get back to work tomorrow to make the most of this opportunity.”
?? DAWGS ARE BACK IN THE DANCE ??#PointHuskies // @NCAAVolleyball pic.twitter.com/U3KrpFhdq1
— Washington Volleyball (@UWVolleyball) December 1, 2024
Washington finished the regular season at 19-11 and 9-11 in its first year of Big Ten play. The Big Ten tied with both the ACC and the SEC for the most bids from a conference, with nine teams each.
The Huskies had crucial wins over Oregon and Minnesota to boost its at-large credentials, and UW will head into the tournament the healthiest its been since the season began, with Kierstyn Barton, Audra Wilmes, Madi Endsley, and Katy Wessels all returning to the lineup after recent injuries.
“It’s just nice to have everyone back from injury,” said Gabriel. “I have a full squad now, so just giving them a couple more days of practice next to each other will be helpful, and we will just go out there and compete as hard as we can.”
The Dawgs will head to a familiar spot for their tourney opener, traveling to Stanford and Maples Pavilion. UW faces one of the four No. 7 seeds in the first round in Loyola Marymount, champions of the West Coast Conference. First serve will be at 4:30 p.m. on…
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