Kaytlyn Dill (Bothell, Wash.) led Seattle U with 11 kills and two service aces, Megan Augustavo (Shoreline, Wash.) dished out 23 assists to go along with one service ace, and Allie Hoskins (Colorado Springs, Colo.), playing in her home state, led the team with seven digs. The Redhawks normally average over 12 digs and two blocks per set, but finished with only 19 digs and zero team blocks in the entire match.
"We told our team that if we played well, we would have a chance to win. We didn't play well," head coach Shannon Ellis said. "We didn't serve well at all, which is normally a strength for us."
Seattle U won the first two points of the match, but Colorado State responded by winning five of the next six points to take an early 5-3 lead. A kill by Allison Farley (Happy Valley, Ore.) pulled the Redhawks into an 8-8 tie, but the Rams went on a 9-3 scoring run to open a 17-11 advantage. Dill earned a kill and a service ace to pull Seattle U back within four at 17-13, but the Rams pulled away, closing out the set with a kill by Katelyn Steffan.
Colorado State (11-3) won the first two points of the second set before Seattle U turned the tables, winning five of six points to go ahead, 5-3. Down 6-5, the Rams scored 10 unanswered points, helped by seven Redhawk errors, to take a commanding 15-6 lead. After Lani Beadle (Seattle, Wash.) landed a service ace, Colorado State closed out the set with kills by Dana Cranston and Steffan to go ahead in the match, two sets to none.
After the intermission, the Rams scored the first four points of the third set, with Steffan and Brieon Paige earning a kill and a block assist apiece. Back-to-back kills by Dill and Karina Miastkowska (Northbrook, Ill.) brought Seattle U to within two, but that would be as close as the Redhawks would get, as Colorado State slowly expanded its advantage throughout the set. Sarah Jaeckel (Littleton, Colo.), also playing in her home state, scored Seattle U's final four points with kills, but Samantha Peters finished off the match by scoring Colorado State's last two points on kills.
For Colorado State, Paige was 8-for-10 in attack attempts without an error for a .800 hitting percentage, plus she collected three block assists. Steffan also had eight kills and three total blocks, while Tori Brummett finished with seven kills and a .600 hitting percentage. Setter Deedra Foss finished with 33 assists, five kills, and three total blocks, and Izzy Gaulia led the backline with eight defensive digs.
Seattle University (4-13) returns home for a week of practice and classes before hitting the road again next weekend for a Sunday matinee against Montana State in Bozeman, Mont., starting at 1 p.m. local time Oct. 16.