TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University volleyball team continued the Cougar Challenge, facing the host #13 Washington State Cougars. The Tigers (6-3) were swept by the Cougars (7-1) 24-26, 20-25, 21-25.
Irbe Lazda led the Tigers with 14 kills on .448 hitting percentage.
Nina Cajic had 12 kills on .429 hitting percentage, two service aces and seven digs.
Key Stats vs Washington State:
- Towson allowed a season-high .333 hitting percentage against Washington State.
- The Cougars had seven aces compared to only three for the Tigers.
- Washington State won the dig battle 40-26.
How It Happened vs Washington State:
- Towson started the first set with a 5-2 run, highlighted by a Nina Cajic ace.
- The Tigers held on to a narrow lead until Washington State went on a 5-0 run to have a 12-10 advantage.
- Towson responded with a 4-1 run to regain a 15-14 lead with three kills by three different Tigers.
- Both teams went back and forth, tying the score eight times before Towson took a 23-21 edge after an attack error by the Cougars and a Victoria Barrett kill.
- Washington State tied the score at 23 after consecutive points, but an Aayinde Smith kill gave Towson set point.
- The Cougars scored the final three points to win the first set 26-24.
- The second set started with runs for both teams with Washington State jumping out to a 3-0 lead, but Towson countered with a 4-0 run led by Irbe Lazda's two kills to have an early advantage.
- The Cougars scored five of the following seven points to have an 8-6 edge, then Cajic tied the score at eight with back-to-back kills.
- The teams traded points, but the Cougars got three consecutive kills to have a 13-10 lead.
- Towson countered with three points themselves to tie the score at 13, but the Cougars went on a 7-1 run to take a 20-14 lead.
- The Tigers scored four straight points that included a Barrett ace to cut the deficit to two, but Washington State got five of the following seven points to take the second set 25-20.
- Both teams opened the third set going back and forth, tying the score seven times before the Cougars took a two-point lead.
- Towson tied the score at 11 after a Cajic kill and ace, but Washington State got back-to-back kills to regain the lead.
- The Tigers tied the score at 13 after an attack error and a block, then the Cougars countered with three consecutive points to have a 16-13 edge over Towson.
- Kills by Zyare Abdul-Rahim and Barrett brought the deficit to one, but five straight points gave Washington State a 21-15 lead.
- Towson went on a 6-2 run to trail by two after Abdul-Rahim got her eighth kill of the match.
- The Cougars sealed the match with consecutive points to take the final set 25-21.
Inside the Numbers vs Washington State:
- Towson has lost consecutive matches for the first time since 2018.
- Sarah Jordan had 13 assists and two kills, while freshman Maisie Jesse finished with ten assists and three digs.
- Irbe Lazda finished with double-digit kills for the seventh time this season.
Up Next:
The Tigers wrap up the Cougar Challenge tomorrow at 5 p.m. against UC Irvine on Pac-12 Insider.
