Huskies Edge Utah To Stay Alive At Pac-12s

Pac-12 Championships

Apr. 27-29

Tucson, Ariz. | Bear Down Beach

(7) Washington vs. (6) Arizona State, 9:00 a.m. | Live Scores | Live on Pac-12 Networks

TUCSON, Ariz. – Washington Beach Volleyball opened up at the Pac-12 Championships today without the lineup it had been hoping to build for just this tournament, but the Beach Dawgs showed their toughness again, staying alive with a 3-2 win over Utah in the contender’s bracket, after third-ranked UCLA defeated the Huskies by a 4-0 score in the main draw quarterfinals.

 

In the double-elimination tournament, Washington moved on in the contender’s bracket and earned a match on Thursday morning at 9 a.m. against No. 6-seed Arizona State. Each team will be trying to stave off elimination once again. The match will be live on Pac-12 Networks.

 

UW was without two players from its top two duos today, and debuted a new player in Mia Savoldelli, who has been practicing with the squad all 2022 but had not competed in a collegiate match. The Huskies still managed to win the top three matches against the Utes, including a final match-deciding three set victory at the No. 2 spot from Maeve Griffin and Audra Wilmes.

 

The Huskies took a 2-0 lead against the Utes. Natalie Robinson and Scarlett Dahl teamed together at No. 1 and earned a 21-5, 21-16 win over Sage Patchell and Amaya Messier. Then Ashley Shook and Hannah Yerex won, 22-20, 21-16, at No. 3, having saved two set points in the first set to help beat Marissa Koch and Samantha Leight.

 

But Utah then got two tight wins at four and five. Savoldelli teamed with Olivia Mikkelsen at No. 5, and the two had a few set point chances to try and take their match to a third, but Utah’s Pitzak and Jacinto pulled out the 21-15, 26-24 win. Then Emma Calle and Kyra Petersen fell in a 22-20, 21-18 match to Sommer Daniel and Lauren Sayre.

 

That left it to Griffin and Wilmes, who split the first two sets at No. 2 against Andrews/Vezzani, both going extra points: 22-24, 23-21. Griffin and Wilmes fell behind, 1-4, in the third, but rallied and pulled ahead, eventually going up 13-9. Utah scored three in a row to get back within one, but then served long for match point, and hit their next shot long as well to end it, 15-12.

 

In the day’s first match, the Bruins were able to move on with straight set wins on four courts, the last two ending within a…