Playing its third match in just over a 24-hour span, the Seattle University volleyball team gave a solid effort, but Portland State did not make many mistakes on its way to a 3-0 victory (25-15, 25-18, 25-18) Saturday afternoon in the Portland State Volleyball Showcase at the Stott Center.
With the score tied 6-6 in the first set, Portland State scored eight of the next ten points to open up a six-point advantage. The Vikings scored five straight points later in the set thanks in part to three blocks and finished off the set with back-to-back kills by Erica Jepsen.
The next two sets followed a similar pattern, as Seattle University stuck with Portland State through the first half of each set, but the Vikings used a run to pull away. In the second set, it was a 6-1 run that extended the Viking lead from 15-14 to 21-16. The Redhawks held an 8-6 lead in the third set, but the home team outscored the visitors 8-1 to take control and cruise to the sweep.
The Seattle University offense was led by Libby Graff (Beaverton, Ore.) and Kaytlyn Dill (Bothell, Wash.) with seven kills each, with Jamie Mellies (Henderson, Nev.) setting up the offense with 20 assists plus six defensive digs. Shelly Anderson (Bothell, Wash.) led the Redhawks with 14 digs, while libero Emily Deleissegues (Aromas, Calif.) collected 13 digs in the match.
For Portland State, Marija Vojnovic notched a double-double with 12 kills and 12 digs, while Jepsen earned nine kills and six total blocks, including three solo blocks. Setter Nique Fradella finished the match with 32 assists and three total blocks, and Diana Villalpando led the Vikings with 16 defensive digs.
Seattle University (2-8) heads to Eugene, Ore., to face 12th-ranked Oregon Sunday, Sept. 14, beginning at 1 p.m. It will be the first of three straight nationally ranked teams that the Redhawks will face over the next week, with a road match at #9 Washington on Sept. 18 and a home match against #20 San Diego on Sept. 20 also on the schedule.