Despite a school record-tying 29 kills by senior Nikole Thompson (Marysville, Wash.), the Seattle University volleyball team was unable to finish off Western Oregon, as the Wolves came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Redhawks, 3-2 (28-30, 18-30, 30-27, 30-27, 17-15) Thursday night at the Connolly Center.
Seattle University got off to a hot start, earning 31 kills while making only five attack errors in the first two games to take a 2-0 lead into the intermission. Western Oregon picked up 20 kills and 34 digs to win game three, and then earned five team blocks in the fourth game, forcing into 12 attack errors to force the fifth and deciding game.
took the early lead in the fifth game, but the Wolves came back thanks to nine combined kills and seven combined digs from Kayla Mainer and Haley Kostrba. Kostrba scored Western ’s final three points of the match to complete the comeback and keep the Wolves undefeated in the conference at 3-0.
Thompson, who also notched 12 digs in the match, established herself as the hot attacker right from the start, earning twice as many attack attempts as the next player. She earned seven kills in each of the first two games, struggled a little bit in game three with only four kills, earned seven more kills in game four but also made six attack errors, and finished the night with four of ’s six kills in the fifth game. She tied the record set by Megan Kaysinger against on Sept. 19, 2003.
Sophomore Emily Powell () complimented Thompson with her play in the middle, earning 12 kills, a .524 hitting percentage, and seven total blocks in the match. Jamie Mellies (, ) finished with 55 assists, 15 digs, and six block assists, while Heather Gerke () picked up 25 digs and Josie Christiansen (Coquille, Ore.) contributed seven kills, two service aces, and four total blocks.
Kostrba led (6-4, 3-0 GNAC) with 22 kills and 32 digs, with Mainer right behind her with 20 kills and 20 digs. Setter Amy Herron picked up 55 assists and 16 digs, libero Claire Carpenter finished with 26 defensive digs, and Sharon Peterson earned three solo blocks during the match.
(3-8, 0-3 GNAC) will look to rebound off this tough loss Saturday night as it hosts Saint Martin’s University at the beginning at 7 p.m.