The Case Western Reserve University volleyball team upset ninth-ranked Washington University in St. Louis 3-0 in the quarterfinal of the 2023 University Athletic Association Championship Tournament at the Woodruff P.E. Center on the campus of Emory University in Atlanta on Friday, before falling to seventh-ranked New York University 3-0 in the semifinal.
The sixth-seeded Spartans moved to 21-8 overall on the season. CWRU will face fifth-seeded Chicago in the Third-Place Match tomorrow at 10 a.m.
The third-seeded Bears, who advanced to the fifth-place match, moved to 23-8, and the second-seeded Violets, who will face top-seeded Emory in the championship, improved to 28-4.
(6) CWRU 3, (3) WashU 0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-12)
The Spartans fell behind early in the match, trailing 10-3 to the nationally ranked Bears. Following a timeout, CWRU won the next six points to cut its deficit to just one and prompt a timeout by WashU. Junior outside hitter Rea Marfatia recorded a block and a kill during the run, and senior middle blocker Jennifer Ngo had her first service ace of the match. After dropping the next three points, Case Western Reserve pulled within one again on a kill by Marfatia. Later in the set, CWRU took its first lead, 17-16, on a 4-0 run featuring kills by Ngo, senior setter Ansley Yamaato, and first-year outside hitter Emily Goodpaster. The Bears quickly tied the score at 17, but two WashU errors gave the Spartans a 19-17 advantage. After the teams split the next four points, CWRU reached set point with a 4-0 run, capped by Ngo's second service ace of the set. The Bears stayed alive by winning each of the next four points, but a kill by sophomore middle blocker Kiya Levy ended the set for the Spartans.
Looking to even the match, the Bears roared to an 8-2 lead to start the second set. However, the Spartans clawed back, eventually using a 5-0 run to tie the score at 11. Following a timeout, WashU won the next four points to gain a 15-11 advantage. After a break, back-to-back blocks by Levy and sophomore middle blocker Amanda Ngo brought the Spartans within two. The teams split the next six points before kills by Wall and Marfatia tied the score at 18. A second consecutive Marfatia kill pushed CWRU ahead and prompted a WashU timeout. Following the break, the Spartans extended their run, leading 24-18 before the Bears could score again. Marfatia closed the set with a kill, giving Case Western Reserve a 2-0 lead in the match.
WashU led 4-2 early in the third set, but the Spartans won nine of the next 10 points to take an 11-5 lead. After two quick Bears points, CWRU won seven consecutive points to gain a commanding 11-point advantage. WashU could only cut its deficit to nine, and three straight kills by Goodpaster put the Spartans ahead by 12, needing just three points to clinch the match. The teams split the next four points, and a block by Goodpaster and Jennifer Ngo sealed the semifinal berth for CWRU.
Marfatia and Goodpaster each had a team-high 16 digs with Marfatia recording 11 kills and Goodpaster putting down 10. Sophomore outside hitter Kalli Wall reached double-digit kills as well, recording 10. Jennifer Ngo finished the match with seven kills, five total blocks, two digs, and two service aces. Junior setter/right side hitter Carly Scott led the squad with 17 assists, adding nine digs, and Yamaato added 14 assists and seven digs.
(2) NYU 3, (6) CWRU 0 (14-25, 18-25, 31-33)
NYU started the first set with a 13-2 run and did not look back, leading by as many as 16 points late in the set.
In the second set, a kill from Wall tied the score at 8, but a 7-3 Violet run gave NYU a four-point lead. CWRU cut its deficit to just two, but New York responded by winning seven of the next nine to take a 22-15 lead. The Spartans cut their deficit to five, but back-to-back points ended the set for the Violets.
Up 9-7 early in the third set, NYU won six of the next seven points to lead by seven. The Violets led by as many as nine points, 20-11, before CWRU won six of the next seven points to cut its deficit to four. The Violets claimed the following two points, but the Spartans rallied with a 7-0 run to take a 24-23 lead. The teams split the next four points, with each side fighting off potential set points. Over the next 13 points, each team battled, continuing to fight off set points and tying the score at 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31. With the score level at 31, NYU won two consecutive points to claim the match and send the Spartans to the third-place contest on Sunday.
Jennifer Ngo and Wall led the team with 10 kills each in the match. Ngo recorded a career-high 10 total blocks and added eight digs. Blessinger had a team-high 17 digs, and Scott recorded 17 assists and 11 digs.