Kaytlyn Dill (Bothell, Wash.) led Seattle University with nine kills and 11 digs, while Cristin Richards (Olympia, Wash.) earned eight kills and six digs. Kelly Biette (Brighton, Colo.) finished with five kills, three service aces, and three block assists, Raissa Licano-Sanchez (Grandview, Wash.) led the team at the net with seven total blocks, and setter Jamie Mellies (Henderson, Nev.) dished out 24 assists and also contributed eight digs.
Early in the first set, back-to-back kills by Lana Zielke and Marija Vojnovic allowed Portland State to take a 7-4 lead. Seattle University came within one, but two blocks by Zielke and another Vojnovic kill gave the Vikings a five-point advantage at 17-12. Biette picked up a kill and two aces to bring the Redhawks back to within one point, but Portland State held on, finishing off the first set with an ace by Nique Fradella and a block from Christie Hamilton and Tracy Vargas.
Seattle University scored four unanswered points to take an 8-4 lead in the second set, but the Vikings slowly came back, taking advantage of four straight Redhawk errors to pull into a 13-13 tie. Fradella and Vojnovic posted back-to-back kills as Portland State pulled ahead, 23-20, but SeattleU did not give up, as two kills by Dill brought the home team into a 23-23 tie. After a SeattleU attack error, Vojnovic closed out the set with a kill to give the visitors a 2-0 match lead heading into the intermission.
Portland State (10-6) took control of the third set right away, with Erica Jepsen earning two kills and a block followed by two kills from Whitney Phillips as the Vikings jumped out to a 6-1 lead. Down 11-2, the Redhawks fought back, thanks in part to three straight blocks from Licano-Sanchez and Janet Beckerman (Bellevue, Wash.). Three Viking attack errors allowed SeattleU to come within four at 16-12, but Portland State scored the next four points, and two kills by Zielke completed the sweep.
Zielke led all players with ten kills, plus she posted a .471 hitting percentage and had four total blocks. Vojnovic contributed nine kills and a match-high 20 digs, while Phillips finished with eight kills, seven digs, and four total blocks. Fradella dished out 30 assists and also earned five digs, Jepsen notched five kills and three total blocks in two sets of action, and Nicole Bateham posted 11 defensive digs.
Seattle University (5-15) begins a seven-match road swing Saturday, Oct. 10, against UNLV in a 1 p.m. contest. The Redhawks do not return to the Connolly Center until their season finale against Saint Martin's Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m.