The Seattle University volleyball team lost to UC Irvine, 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 26-24) Thursday night at Crawford Gym.
Cristin Richards (Tumwater, Wash.) led the offense with 14 kills, plus collected six digs and four block assists, while Kaytlyn Dill (Bothell, Wash.) notched a double-double with 13 kills and 10 digs. Megan Augustavo (Shoreline, Wash.) also achieved a double-double with 30 assists and 13 digs, and libero Allie Hoskins (Colorado Springs, Colo.) finished with 10 digs to go along with five assists and a kill.
UC Irvine (9-12) scored four unanswered points early in the first set, led by Aly Squires with three kills, to take a 10-6 lead. Three straight points for Seattle U pulled the Redhawks within two, but that would be as close as they would get in the first set. UC Irvine closed out the set with a 7-2 scoring run, punctuated by a kill from Shaina Olsen and a service ace by Alexandra Hauser.
In the second set, two kills and a service ace by Olsen helped UC Irvine put together a 6-1 scoring run to take an 8-4 lead. Two Anteater errors and a kill by Richards pulled Seattle U to within one at 8-7, but two Redhawk errors and a service ace by Pauline Acres helped UC Irvine extend its lead back to four at 15-11. Down 22-16, Seattle U ran off four straight points, helped by a kill and a block assist from Richards, but the Anteaters scored three of the final four points of the set to take a 2-0 lead into intermission.
Seattle U won four of the first five points of the third set, but UC Irvine responded with three unanswered points to tie the set at 5-5. Kills by Jordan Keller (Mukilteo, Wash.) and Richards allowed the Redhawks to retake the lead at 9-6 before a 4-1 Anteater run evened the set at 11-11. Two kills and a block assist by Karina Miastkowska (Northbrook, Ill.) gave the Redhawks a 22-19 advantage, but a kill and a block assist from Olsen as well as a Hauser service ace pulled UC Irvine ahead, 23-22.
Back-to-back kills by Dill brought up set point for Seattle U, but Olsen kept the set going with a kill. A block by Arielle Manz and Marissa Alvarez led to match point for the Anteaters, and an attack error by Seattle U clinched the set and the match for the home team.
"We keep working hard and playing tough. We had our chances, especially in the third set, but once again we fell just short. However, I liked our energy tonight," head coach Shannon Ellis said.
Squires led UC Irvine with 11 kills and a .400 hitting percentage plus contributed 11 digs, while Olsen earned 10 kills, six digs, and three total blocks. The setting duties were split between Alvarez (18 assists) and Mary Carls (11 assists), Hauser led the team with three service aces, and Kristin Winkler led everyone with 17 defensive digs.
Seattle University (4-17) heads to Greeley, Colo., to face Northern Colorado Saturday, Oct. 29, beginning at 7 p.m. local time. The Redhawks finally return to the Connolly Center North Court next Friday, Nov. 4, for a match against Cal State Bakersfield starting at 7 p.m.