Mellies dished out 52 assists, setting the new school record for most career assists with 3,911, passing Erika Brunson's total of 3,904 assists. Meanwhile, Richards collected 23 kills and now has 427 kills this season, breaking the old record of 421 kills set by Sarah Sommerman in 2005.
Seattle U went on a 7-1 scoring run early in the fourth set to take an 11-5 lead, but Stetson responded with an 8-2 run of its own to pull into a 13-13 tie. After Allison Farley (Happy Valley, Ore.) notched a kill to give the Redhawks a 17-15 advantage, Richards took over, scoring Seattle U's final eight points on six kills and two service aces as the visitors closed out the match on a 9-3 run.
After starting a little sluggish just about 15 hours after completing Friday's victory over Jacksonville, Seattle U started to play its game, overcoming an early 7-4 deficit with an 8-1 run, thanks in part to three kills and two service aces by Richards. Another 8-1 scoring run closed out the first set for the Redhawks, punctuated by a block assist and a kill from Richards.
Stetson (1-21) recovered from an early 5-1 deficit in the second set, as Kelli Carneal earned three consecutive service aces to give the Hatters an 11-10 advantage. Kills by Janet Beckerman (Bellevue, Wash.), Sarah Jaeckel (Littleton, Colo.), and Farley put the Redhawks back in front, but the home team fought back to tie the set at 15-15. Seattle U proceeded to go on a 10-2 scoring run to end the set, finishing with kills by Beckerman and Jaeckel.
The third set was close until Stetson, helped by two more Carneal service aces, went on an 8-2 run to pull out to a 15-9 lead. Jaeckel, Richards, and Farley posted consecutive kills to pull the Redhawks within two at 17-15, but Kaylee Ream notched back-to-back kills to give Stetson a 21-16 advantage. The Hatters won the set with kills by Brandy Worlton and Ellen Hawks.
"We came out strong but lost some energy at the half. Stetson capitalized on that with some tough serving and we had to regroup. Then Cristin turned it on to put the match away," head coach Shannon Ellis said. "It's great to come home with another win. This has been a good trip, a lot of fun both on and off the court."
Besides her 23 kills, Richards also collected four service aces, 11 digs, and three block assists, while Mellies earned four kills, two aces, nine digs, and two total blocks to go along with her assist total. Jaeckel notched a double-double with 14 kills and 10 digs, Beckerman contributed 11 kills, and Farley finished with nine kills and a .529 hitting percentage.
Defensively, Jordan Keller (Mukilteo, Wash.) led the team at the net with a solo block and five block assists for six total blocks. In the back, Emily Deleissegues (Aromas, Calif.) earned 18 defensive digs and Megan Augustavo (Shoreline, Wash.) added 11 digs to the winning effort.
Hawks, Worlton, and Kaley Melville each earned nine kills to lead the Hatters, while Ream finished with seven kills and a .400 hitting percentage. Carneal accumulated 36 assists, six service aces, and nine digs, and libero Monique Russell led all players with 29 defensive digs.
Seattle U has now extended its winning streak to four matches, the longest streak since Oct. 10-12, 2008. The Redhawks have won three consecutive matches on the road for the first time since defeating Alaska Anchorage (Sept. 20), Alaska Fairbanks (Sept. 22), and Saint Martin's (Oct. 11) during the 2007 season.
Seattle University (13-12) will enjoy a 12-day break from competition before consecutive matches at Cal State Bakersfield Nov. 5-6, followed by another 12-day layoff before hosting the Independent Tournament Nov. 19-20 at the Connolly Center.