Sophomore Cristin Richards (Olympia, Wash.) earned a season-high 22 kills and continued her consistent play, posting a .308 hitting percentage. Kaytlyn Dill (Bothell, Wash.) contributed 17 kills, two service aces, and a career-high 20 defensive digs, while Jordan Keller (Mukilteo, Wash.) finished with nine kills in 13 attempts and Kelly Biette (Brighton, Colo.) added eight kills in 12 attack attempts along with five block assists.
Setter Jamie Mellies (Henderson, Nev.), named Division I Independent Defensive Player of the Week earlier in the day, dished out a season-high 56 assists, was a perfect 4-for-4 in attack attempts, collected a career-high four service aces, earned 10 digs, and totaled seven blocks, tying her career high. Megan Augustavo (Shoreline, Wash.) contributed three service aces and five digs, and Emily Deleissegues (Aromas, Calif.) led the Redhawks with 23 defensive digs.
The two teams split the first 14 points of the fifth set, but back-to-back blocks by Mellies and Biette followed by kills from Keller and Richards gave SeattleU a 10-7 lead. Three straight kills by Richards and a Mellies service ace brought the Redhawks to match point, and Richards established her new season high in kills on the final point of the contest.
Down 2-1 in the match, Cal State Bakersfield (12-14) fought back, winning the first five points of the fourth set. With two kills and a block assist by Dill, SeattleU came within one at 10-9, but the Roadrunners went on an 8-2 run to retake control of the set. After a timeout, the Redhawks scored six unanswered points to again come within one at 20-19, but Cal State Bakersfield won five of the final six points to force the deciding fifth set.
The Roadrunners scored five straight points early in the third set to open an 11-7 lead, but a 6-1 run by SeattleU later in the set gave the visitors a 17-16 advantage. The Redhawks closed out the third set by scoring seven of the last eight points, with the set-clinching point coming on an ace by Dill.
Down 8-5 in the second set, Seattle University struck back, as Augustavo notched two aces during a 10-1 run that gave SeattleU a 15-9 lead and forced a CSUB timeout. Four kills by Lindy DeGeare allowed the Roadrunners to cut their deficit to three at 16-13, but two kills by Keller were part of a string of six unanswered SeattleU points. An attack error by Cal State Bakersfield clinched the set for SeattleU.
In the first set, two kills by Richards, a block from Mellies and Biette, and an ace from Dill allowed SeattleU to take an 11-9 lead. Cal State Bakersfield responded, as Kayla Williamson earned two service aces to put the home team ahead, 17-15. The Roadrunners extended their lead to 24-20, but the Redhawks held off CSUB thanks in part to kills by Richards and Mellies. Cal State Bakersfield finally closed out the first set on consecutive kills by Alysia Baker.
One day after needing only 13 attempts to earn 12 kills, it took Baker 26 attack attempts, including 2 errors, to reach the same total. DeGeare led the way with 19 kills, while Lindsay Toone earned 15 kills during the match. Setter Barbie Unfried collected 52 assists and 10 digs, and Williamson led all players with five service aces and 25 digs.
After Cal State Bakersfield dominated the stat sheet in Sunday's match, the stats from this match turned in SeattleU's favor. The Redhawks hit .286, the second-highest hitting percentage of the season, while holding the Roadrunners to a .211 hitting percentage after they hit .370 on Sunday. The Redhawk blocking game was back with 12 team blocks, and the service game improved with nine aces.
This is the second consecutive Monday that Seattle University has won a five-set match, coming back from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Montana State in five sets on Oct. 26. SeattleU is 3-1 in five-set matches this season, with all three victories coming on the road (Sept. 25 at South Dakota).
Seattle University (7-19) finishes the current three-match road trip at UC Irvine Tuesday, Nov. 3, starting at 7 p.m. The Redhawks wrap up the 2009 season Tuesday, Nov. 10, by hosting Saint Martin's at the Connolly Center beginning at 7 p.m.