Budde Reaches 1,000 Digs and Bears win 51st-Straight Set in Win Over New York
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St. Louis, Mo., October 2, 2011 – It was an historic afternoon for the second-ranked Washington University in St. Louis volleyball team as the Bears picked up a 3-0 victory over New York University at the first University Athletic Association (UAA) round robin of the season in the Washington University Field House in St. Louis, Mo.
The Bears saw an individual and team milestone set with the win over New York. Senior middle hitter Lauren Budde finished the match with a team-high 14 kills to go along with four digs, becoming just the eighth student-athlete in program history to reach 1,000 career kills and digs.
The Bears also improved their overall record to 17-0 and won their 51st-straight set in the process. The previous school record of 48-straight set wins came during the 1996 season when the Bears posted 16-straight sweeps from Oct. 14-Nov. 18. Washington University now sits just six sets shy of the all-time Division III record of 57-consecutive sets, set by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 2007.
Budde eclipsed the 1,000-kill milestone two weeks ago against Concordia College-Moorhead in Colorado Springs, Colo., and with her fourth dig against New York on Sunday afternoon she reached 1,000 for her career.
Of the seven players to previously reach 1,000-career kills and digs at Washington University, none played middle hitter, making her the first six-rotation middle hitter in school history to join the illustrious group. Outside hitter Haleigh Spencer (2004-07) was the last to accomplish the feat during her senior campaign in 2007.
Senior defensive specialist Tricia Brandt opened the match against New York with three-straight aces to push the Bears to a quick 3-0 lead on the way to a 25-16 opening set win. Freshman right side Lindsay Juriga and Budde each had four kills in the first frame.
The Bears continued to serve tough in the second set, with sophomore right side Megan Odenthal registering three of the team’s four aces in the 12-point win. Budde added four more kills and sophomore middle hitter Kaia Schwartz scored on three of her seven swings.
Budde really got going offensively in the fourth, scoring six times on just seven attempts without committing an error. Sophomore outside hitter Meghan Byrne had three of her six kills in the third set and junior setter Marilee Fisher had match-high 11 assists, and finished the win with 28 assists, three kills and six digs.
The Bears served 12 aces as a team in the win, with Brandt and Odenthal recording four apiece. Junior libero Kelly Pang led the team with eight digs and Schwartz finished the match with five kills and a pair of blocks.
Washington U. (17-0, 3-0) returns to action next weekend when it hosts the Washington University Invitational from Friday-Saturday, Oct. 7-8. The Bears face Fontbonne University on Friday at 5:15 p.m. and Millikin University at 7:30 p.m.