The Cougars took on the Coyotes of South Dakota on Saturday, and it was Washington State that came out on top. This was WSU’s third sweep of the tournament, and it was their most dominant match over the course of the entire tournament. This was just one of those matches were both sides were executing offensively, and the Cougs defense looked like it needed some improvement.
The first and second sets were all about the Cougs as they dominated the Coyotes for the majority of the match. They out hit, out blocked, and out served the visitors from South Dakota. In fact, the second set would have been a pretty sizeable blowout if the Coyotes hadn’t been so effective at blocking (they had three in the second set alone). Washington State ended up winning both sets handily (25-16, 25-17).
In the third set, South Dakota put together their most complete performance of the match -- it was also the best I’ve seen them play all tournament. The Coyotes were able to execute on the offensive end, and it allowed them to make the third set an intense viewing experience. Washington State pulled ahead of South Dakota late because of great communication and team work down the stretch.
After the match, Ver’leea Hardaway was announced as the tournament's MVPs.