CALIFORNIA LOVE: After winning two of three matches at the Pepperdine Asics Classic over the weekend, Seattle University heads south for a single match against the University of San Diego on Tuesday before heading back north for a weekend in San Luis Obispo at a tournament hosted by Cal Poly. The match against the Toreros is a return match after San Diego came to Seattle last season, while the Mission Inn of Pismo Beach Invitational will be the final in-season tournament for SeattleU this season.
PEPPERDINE ASICS CLASSIC: SeattleU started off the weekend with the 19th-ranked Waves and put up a tough battle against the host team, but in the end Pepperdine earned a 3-0 victory (25-15, 25-20, 25-16). Cristin Richards led all players with 15 kills, while Kaytlyn Dill earned eight kills and six digs. Jordan Keller collected six block assists, and Emily Deleissegues finished with 14 defensive digs. The next night, SeattleU swept UC Riverside (25-19, 25-17, 25-22) to snap its five-match losing streak. Richards again led the team offensively with 12 kills, and Janet Beckerman earned nine kills, three block assists, and a .471 hitting percentage. Raissa Licano-Sanchez was the leading middle blocker with six block assists, and Deleissegues again patrolled the back row with 17 digs. On the final day, the Redhawks took advantage of an Army team that was spent from a five-set victory over Pepperdine the night before and swept the Black Knights (25-19, 25-9, 26-24). SeattleU finished with a season-high .351 hitting percentage, committing only nine attack errors, including just one error in the second set in which it hit .632. Dill led the way in this match with 12 kills and a .407 hitting percentage, while freshman Kelly Biette earned eight kills in ten attempts as well as seven total blocks. Richards contributed ten kills and seven digs, Licano-Sanchez notched five kills and four total blocks, and Jamie Mellies notched 34 assists, six digs, and four block assists.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS: For the second straight week, sophomore Cristin Richards was named to an all-tournament team, this time earning the honor at the Pepperdine Asics Classic. In the three matches in Malibu, Richards accumulated 37 kills, two service aces, 18 digs, and six block assists. The previous weekend at the Active Ankle Challenge. she compiled 31 kills, 18 digs, and eight total blocks in the three matches at Oregon State. Jamie Mellies was also named to the all-tournament team at Pepperdine after notching 85 assists, 24 digs, and eight total blocks.
SCOUTING SAN DIEGO: The 23rd-ranked Toreros come into Tuesday's match with a 4-3 record after defeating Colorado, Cal Poly, and Denver over the weekend. San Diego lost back-to-back home matches to UC Santa Barbara on Sept. 4 and Sept. 5 and also has a loss to #2 Texas. Four players are averaging over 2.4 kills per set, led by Ashton Basch, who has 88 total kills. Ali Troost has 79 kills so far this season, while Torey Ellick has collected 70 kills, a .306 hitting percentage, and 19 total blocks. With 67 kills and a .317 hitting percentage, Colleen Carlson is also an offensive threat for San Diego. Kelsi Myers has been a consistent setter with 316 assists, and Kayleen Webster leads in digs with 113.
SCOUTING CAL POLY: The Mustangs enter the weekend with a 2-8 record, with victories over Weber State and Denver so far this season. Four of the team's losses have come against ranked opponents (Colorado State, Utah, Kansas State, San Diego). The match against SeattleU will be Cal Poly's home opener. Megan McConnell leads the team with 102 kills, followed by Holly Franks with 87 kills and Dominique Olowolafe with 81 kills and a .316 hitting percentage. The setting duties have been split between Hailey Fithian (197 assists) and Anuhea Keanini (194 assists). Catie Smith is the team leader with eight service aces, Anicia Santos leads the team with 31 total blocks, and Alison Mort has 165 digs to lead the Mustangs.
SCOUTING UC SANTA BARBARA: The Gauchos bring a 5-2 record into the week, which will start with a Wednesday home match against Santa Clara. Rebecca Saraceno leads the way offensively for UCSB, earning 119 total kills (4.25 kills/set) and a .337 hitting percentage. Leah Sully has earned 71 kills along with ten service aces and 59 digs. Stacey Schmidt has posted a .458 hitting percentage while collecting 64 kills and 17 total blocks. Dana Vargas has been the Gauchos' setter all season and currently has 319 assists, while Lily Lopez has earned 26 total blocks to lead the team and Chelsey Lowe leads the way in the back with 104 defensive digs.
SCOUTING SANTA CLARA: The Broncos bring a 5-3 record into their match Wednesday at UC Santa Barbara, with all three losses coming against ranked opponents (UCLA, Hawaii, Arizona). Krista Kelly leads the team with 97 kills, averaging 3.73 kills per set, and a .258 hitting percentage. Katherine Douglas has 78 kills, eight service aces, and 71 digs, while Dana Knudsen has collected 63 kills as well as a team-high 30 total blocks. Lindsy Davigeadono and Tanya Schmidt each have 28 total blocks, and Libby Morrison leads Santa Clara with 91 defensive digs. The setting duties have been split between Emily Burke (191 assists) and Alexandra Palmer (137 assists).
BLOCK PARTY: Seattle University tied a team single-match record on Sept. 5 against Wisconsin, collecting 17 team blocks during the four-set match. That tied the school record set on Sept. 22, 2007, in a five-set victory at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, Alaska. As a team, SeattleU is averaging 2.47 blocks per set, and its 79 total blocks is second-most among the Division I independent schools.
INDEPENDENT STANDINGS: There are six Division I programs competing as independent schools this season: Bryant University, Cal State Bakersfield, North Carolina Central, Providence College, Savannah State. and Seattle University. Each week the SIDs at Cal State Bakersfield and Providence are working together to update stat leaders and to name a Player and Defensive Player of the Week. Through the matches of Sunday, Sept. 13, Cristin Richards is fourth among the independent schools in total kills with 105 and third in kills per set with 3.28. Jamie Mellies is third in assists with 253, while Emily Deleissegues is fourth in digs with 127, In the total blocks category, Kelly Biette is fourth with 30, Jordan Keller is fifth with 29, and Mellies stands in a tie for sixth place with 26. At the end of last week, Cal State Bakersfield had the best record among the independent schools with a 7-5 mark.