Cal State Fullerton (6-0) won five of the first six points of the third set, but Seattle University earned the next four points and the rest of the set was a seesaw battle. With the Redhawks down 22-20, Kelly Biette (Brighton, Colo.) picked up a kill and joined with Cristin Richards (Olympia, Wash.) on a block to tie the set. Richards then hit back-to-back kills to bring SeattleU within one point of winning the set, but three Titan kills and a couple of Redhawk attack errors gave Cal State Fullerton the set and the match.
Richards led Seattle University with 13 kills, plus she earned three block assists. Biette led the team with four total blocks, while setter Jamie Mellies (Henderson, Nev.) earned 26 assists, four digs, and three block assists. Defensively, libero Emily Deleissegues (Aromas, Calif.) again led the way with 12 digs, while Kaytlyn Dill (Bothell, Wash.) had seven digs to go along with eight kills and a team-high two service aces
Two kills each by Richards and Jordan Keller (Mukilteo, Wash.) gave SeattleU a 4-2 lead in the first set, but Cal State Fullerton took control, going on a 12-2 run to take a 10-point lead at 17-7. The Titans did not make an attack error in the opening set, posting a .467 hitting percentage.
In the second set, Seattle University held the lead early, extending it to as much as four points three times. Cal State Fullerton fought back, going on a 5-1 run to take a 22-19 advantage. A Titan service error, a block by Biette and Richards, and an ace from Dill allowed the Redhawks to tie the set at 22-22, but a kill, a block, and an ace gave Cal State Fullerton the set victory and the 2-0 lead heading into the intermission.
Erin Saddler paced the Titans with 18 kills, a .410 hitting percentage, and six defensive digs. Andrea Ragan distributed 39 assists and also notched eight digs, Kayla Neto earned a match-high four aces to go along with five kills and two block assists, and libero Cami Croteau led all players with 14 digs in the match.
Seattle University (1-6) heads to California for a ten-day road trip, beginning with the Asics Classic hosted by Pepperdine University next weekend, Sept. 11-13. After the trip south, the team returns to the Connolly Center to host North Dakota Tuesday, Sept. 22, beginning at 7 p.m.