Soccer season ends, Volleyball sweeps

It was an eventful weekend for Washington State athletics with a pair of seasons ending, a postseason berth clinched, and momentum towards another continuing.

We will start with the WSU women’s soccer team ending their season with a 2-0 second-round loss to Tennessee on Friday. The Cougs had some early chances, but could not convert. Tennessee took advantage of its chances and secured the win in Ann Arbor.

As one postseason run ends, two more are now on the verge. The WSU football team, of course, secured its bowl eligibility with a dominant win against Arizona. The WSU volleyball team still has two regular-season matches to go, but strengthened its NCAA Tournament resume with a sweep of the Oregon schools.

The Cougars secured a 3-2 win against Oregon on Thursday and followed it up with a dominant 3-0 sweep of Oregon State on Sunday for Senior Night. That gives the Cougs a season sweep of the Oregon schools. WSU has dominated both the Ducks and Beavers in recent seasons and has won 12 of their last 14 matches against the Oregon schools.

Pretty good senior night for Penny Tusa.

It was a record-setting weekend for the WSU women’s swim team as they set five new school records during a three-day meet in Houston. Senior Taylor McCoy set WSU records for both the 400 IM and the 200 back. The Cougs finished fourth in the event and will not be back in action until the middle of January.

Amir Ado represented WSU at the 2021 NCAA Cross Country National Championships in the 10,000 meters on Saturday. He qualified after a strong at the NCAA West Regional and was the first Coug to compete in the event since 2017. He finished in 195th place.

And finally, on the basketball court, the WSU women’s basketball team made it a basketball sweep of Idaho with a 73-59 win against the Vandals on Sunday. It wasn’t quite as dominant as the men’s win against Idaho, but a win is a win.

Johanna Teder played her first game of the season, returning from playing for Estonia in EuroBasket qualifying, and led the way with 13 points. She made 3-of-7 three-point attempts, producing half of the Cougars’ six makes from long range. The timing of her return is ideal as the Cougs now travel to play in the 2021 Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship in the Bahamas. First up with be the Miami Hurricanes on Thursday. Then one of the biggest tests of the season will come on Saturday against No. 5 North Carolina State.

This week in Cougar athletics gets underway tonight as the men’s basketball team will host Winthrop at 6 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Network.

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Football:

WSU Cougars linebackers Jahad Woods, Justus Rogers turn in unexpectedly historic careers | The Seattle Times
Friday's win marked game No. 54 for both of them, tying the program’s career record set three years ago by former linebacker Peyton Pelluer.

Washington State takeaways: Cougars need chaos, but still alive in Pac-12 North race | The Spokesman-Review
PULLMAN – Thanks to Saturday’s outcomes, Washington State is still in the running for a Pac-12 North title.

Who will win the Pac-12 North? Here are the scenarios for Oregon Ducks, Oregon State Beavers and Washington State - oregonlive.com
The Pac-12 North race comes down to the final week of the regular season.

Women’s Basketball:

Washington State women break away in third quarter to beat Idaho in Battle of the Palouse | Washington State University | khq.com
The Cougs went on an 11-point run and broke open a game that had seen 14 lead changes to that point, and they fended off the Vandals the rest of

Cougs Score 73-59 Win Over Idaho - Washington State University Athletics
MOSCOW, Idaho – The Washington State women's basketball team had four players score double digits against Idaho in the Battle of the Palouse, as the Cougars scored

Volleyball:

Area roundup: WSU volleyball rolls past Oregon State | Sports | dnews.com
PULLMAN — Senior outside hitter Penny Tusa had 11 kills as the 22nd-ranked Washington State volleyball team earned a 26-24, 25-16, 25-21 Pac-12 Conference victory Sunday against Oregon State in

A sweep on senior day for WSU - Washington State University Athletics
PULLMAN, Wash. – Closing out play at Bohler Gym in style, No. 22 Washington State (19-9, 13-5) battled for a 3-0 win over Oregon State (4-24, 2-16) Sunday afternoon

Cross Country:

Ado Closes Out the Season at the NCAA Cross Country Championships - Washington State University Athletics
Tallahassee, Fla.- Washington State men's cross country runner junior Amir Ado closed out the season at the 2021 NCAA Cross Country National Championships in Tallahassee,

Swimming:

Two More School Records Fall on Final Day in Houston - Washington State University Athletics
WSU set school records in the 200 back and 400 free realy.

Men’s Basketball:

Cougs set to take on the Eagles (Winthrop) - Part 1 - Washington State University Athletics
The Cougs return to Pullman for one more before the Thanksgiving break as WSU hosts a tough Winthrop squad that went 23-2 last season and pushed their way into the NCAA Tournament. The only other time the Cougs and the Eagles have met on the floor was in the 2008 NCAAs with the Cougs prevailing 71-40 in Denver.