STAYING CLOSE TO HOME: After making trips to Arizona and California over the past two weekends, the Seattle University volleyball team will stay in the state of Washington this week. First, the Redhawks welcome Oregon State to the Connolly Center on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. match. The next day, the team will make the trip to the eastern part of the state, competing in the Gonzaga Tournament over the weekend against the host Bulldogs as well as Idaho and Wyoming. Oregon State will be the last of three Pac-10 teams on the 2010 schedule, while the Gonzaga match will start a run of four WCC opponents in a five-match span.
SJSU TOURNAMENT: Seattle University went 2-1 during the San Jose State Tournament last weekend. In the first match of the tournament, the Redhawks rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Cal State Northridge in five sets (25-19, 24-26, 17-25, 25-17, 17-15). Sarah Jaeckel led the way with 21 kills and two service aces along with 11 digs, while Cristin Richards added 15 kills and 15 digs. Janet Beckerman contributed 14 kills and five blocks assists in the morning match, while Jordan Keller finished the match with seven kills and six block assists, and Julia Bonadio earned eight kills and four digs. Jamie Mellies dished out 57 assists along with 14 digs and three total blocks, Emily Deleissegues notched 15 digs and three service aces, and Megan Augustavo added 10 digs to the winning effort. Seattle U hit .407 in the fifth set, taking the lead early in the deciding set and then using a kill by Richards to bring about match point at 14-13. However, Cal State Northridge took advantage of a service error and a kill to go on top, 15-14, and put itself on the brink of victory. Richards earned back-to-back kills and then joined with Keller on a block at the net that closed out the match. In its second match of the day, Seattle U swept Cal State Bakersfield (25-20, 25-16, 25-23) thanks to 13 kills and eight digs from Jaeckel and 11 kills and nine digs by Richards. Saturday, Seattle U went to five sets for the fifth time this season and held a 13-11 advantage in the deciding set, but San Jose State won the final four points to pull out the 3-2 victory (25-14, 21-25, 25-18, 21-25, 15-13). Richards notched another double-double with 16 kills and 17 digs, Jaeckel finished with 15 kills, two aces, and seven digs, and Beckerman contributed 11 kills and four block assists.
ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS: Junior Cristin Richards and freshman Sarah Jaeckel were named to the all-tournament team at the conclusion of the SJSU Tournament. Jaeckel collected 49 kills and 26 defensive digs during the weekend, highlighted by a 21-kill performance against Cal State Northridge. Richards accumulated 42 kills and 41 defensive digs over the two-day classic, highlighted by her performance against San Jose State in which she finished with 16 kills, 17 digs, and three aces. This is the second time this season that Richards has earned all-tournament recognition, previously being named to the all-tournament team at the ASU Sheraton Classic in Tempe, Ariz.
LOWE'S SENIOR CLASS AWARD: Senior setter Jamie Mellies is one of 30 candidates selected for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award for volleyball. The award is given to a senior who has notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character, and competition. Mellies has a 3.921 cumulatuive grade point average while majoring in civil engineering and minoring in mathematics. She has volunteered at the Rotary Boys and Girls Club as well as at the Community Lunch in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle. She has been the starting setter since the second match of her freshman year and just collected her 3,000th career assist. As for character, she has shown leadership with her actions throughout her Seattle University career.
SCOUTING OREGON STATE: The Beavers enter Wednesday's match with a 5-5 record, winning two of three matches at the Holiday Inn Classic in Charleston, S.C. Jill Sawatzky leads the way offensively for Oregon State, averaging 4.07 kills per set, plus she has earned 12 service aces, 109 digs, and 34 total blocks. Megan McBride has been the team's setter throughout the season, accumulating 372 assists along with a team-high 16 service aces. Becky Defoe leads the way in the back with 117 defensive digs, while Ashley Eneliko leads at the net with 44 total blocks, followed closely by Mona Kressl with 42 total blocks. Oregon State holds a 2-0 series lead over the Redhawks, including a 3-0 victory Sept. 2, 2008, Seattle U's first home Division I contest.
SCOUTING IDAHO: The Vandals enter the weekend with a 4-4 record, currently on a two-match winning streak after home victories over Eastern Washington and Montana State last weekend. Allison Walker leads the team with 106 kills, followed by Alicia Milo with 95 kills plus a team-high eight service aces. Jennifer Feicht runs the Vandal offense, accumulating 261 assists so far this season. Defensively, Kelsey Taylor leads the team at the net with 31 total blocks, while Cassie Hamilton paces the backline with 111 defensive digs. Idaho does boast a three-set victory at Washington State this season.
SCOUTING GONZAGA: The Bulldogs enter the week with a 2-9 record, facing Washington State in Pullman Tuesday night before hosting the weekend tournament. Gonzaga is currently on a seven-match losing streak. Caitlin Cozad has a team-high 80 kills along with 30 total blocks, while Schylur Edelman is contributing 79 kills and a squad-best 33 total blocks. Deni van de Mortel has been the team's setter throughout the season with 322 assists, plus she has eight service aces, 85 digs, and 27 total blocks. Allyson Powell leads the team with 162 digs, followed by Kristina Lavrisha with 108 defensive digs.
SCOUTING WYOMING: The Cowgirls won their first 11 matches of the season before losing to Boise State last Saturday. Jodi Purdy leads the team offensively with 126 kills and 22 service aces, plus she has contributed 88 digs and 22 total blocks. The setting duties have been split beween Barbara Lasic (305 assists) and Rachel Keyes (163 assists). Jenna Rae Jester leads the team at the net with 54 total blocks, and Tramosljanin is the team leader in the back with 151 defensive digs. This will be the first meeting all-time between Seattle University and Wyoming.
MOVING UP CAREER CHARTS: In the career kills list, Cristin Richards moved into fifth place during the ASU Sheraton Classic:
4. Megan Kaysinger (2001-04) 1,102
5. Cristin Richards (2008-present) 845
6. Libby Graff (2005-08) 775
7. Janeen Fitzgerald (2002-05) 770
8. Nicki Wolfert (1999-01) 739
In the all-time digs category, senior Emily Deleissegues moved into fifth place with her first dig of the season, with Jamie Mellies moving into ninth place as well:
4. Erika Brunson (2001-04) 1,145
5. Emily Deleissegues (2007-present) 1,056
6. Lora Burris (2000-03) 918
7. Cassey Hussey (2000-03) 874
8. Nikole Thompson (2004-07) 869
9. Jamie Mellies (2007-present) 780
10. Marissa Vierra (2002-06) 727
Current SeattleU players Jamie Mellies and Janet Beckerman are in the top ten list for total blocks, with Mellies sitting in fifth place and Beckerman advancing into sixth place last weekend:
4. Amelie Krahn (2001-04) 232
5. Jamie Mellies (2007-present) 215
6. Janet Beckerman (2007-present) 189
7. Sarah Sommerman (2002-05) 177
8. Josie Christiansen (2004-07) 158
9. Erika Brunson (2001-04) 149
10. Emily Powell (2006-08) 147
REACHING MILESTONES: With a kill by Janet Beckerman to make the score 9-6 in Seattle U's favor in the third set of the Aug. 28 match against Mercer, Jamie Mellies picked up her 3,000th career assist, becoming the second player in school history to reach that mark. She joins Erica Brunson, who played from 2001 to 2004, in that exclusive club. Mellies has 3,291 career assists entering the weekend tournament at San Jose State, 613 assists behind Brunson (3,904) on the Seattle U all-time list. With at least 22 matches remaining in the 2010 season, Mellies needs to average 28 assists per match to pass Brunson. This past Monday at the Connolly Center, with a dig during the final point of the first set, Emily Deleissegues earned her 1,000th career dig, the fifth player in school history to reach that mark. Although the all-time digs leader, Maggie Safranski, is probably out of reach with 2,008 career digs, Deleissegues can move into second place on the list with just 126 more digs.