Sometimes it’s hard to put lengths of time into context, but how’s this one for you: The last time WSU beat national volleyball powerhouse Washington in Seattle, the Cougs’ current star, Kyra Holt, was a few months into first grade.
No longer. Holt and her WSU teammates pulled a stunner — at least, it was stunning to those looking on from afar — beating the fourth-ranked Huskies on their home court last night, 3-1.
The manner in which it happened was as incredible as its perceived unlikelihood. After dropping the first set — and looking pretty awful doing it — WSU ran off three consecutive set victories, including a 25-19 victory in the final set that ended like this:
While that sort of an ending might have seemed anticlimactic, it was actually fairly fitting: The Cougars kept the pressure on the Huskies throughout the fourth set, frustrating Washington with outstanding defense until the Huskies — who called two timeouts in the decisive set, but still couldn’t pull it together — finally wilted on their home floor as WSU pulled away.