The seventh and final match of the October road swing for the Seattle University volleyball team resulted in Northern Colorado defeating the Redhawks, 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-18) Saturday night at Butler-Hancock Gym.
Cristin Richards (Tumwater, Wash.) led the offense with 12 kills along with four digs and three total blocks, while Kaytlyn Dill (Bothell, Wash.) contributed 10 kills, six digs, and four total blocks. Allison Farley (Happy Valley, Ore.) added six kills and three block assists, Megan Augustavo (Shoreline, Wash.) dished out 30 assists to go along with seven digs, and Allie Hoskins (Colorado Springs, Colo.) led the Redhawk defense with 11 digs.
Northern Colorado (14-8) opened an 8-5 lead in the first set thanks in part to three kills by Andrea Spaustat before the Redhawks scored five unanswered points, helped by two block assists apiece from Dill and Farley. Back-to-back kills from Brittany Crenshaw brought the Bears back, and then a 7-2 scoring run later in the set gave Northern Colorado a 19-14 advantage. Two kills by Dill and one from Farley closed the Redhawk deficit to two, but the home team was able to hold off the rally, with Kelley Arnold clinching the first set with a kill.
In the second set, a 9-1 scoring run helped the Bears open a 12-3 lead, and Northern Colorado would go ahead by as much as 11 points. Seattle U fought back with a 6-2 run of its own to cut the deficit to seven, but Northern Colorado kept the Redhawks at a distance to win the second set and take a 2-0 lead into the intermission.
Two kills by Richards allowed Seattle U to pull ahead in the third set, 7-6, but Northern Colorado answered with a 7-1 scoring run, thanks in part to three kills by Tambre Haddock as well as a kill and two total blocks from Kelley Arnold, to take a 13-8 advantage. After a timeout, Richards picked up a kill and a block assist to bring the Redhawks within three, but two kills each from Marissa Hughes and Bri Strong helped the Bears extend their lead again. Northern Colorado closed out the set and the match on consecutive Redhawk attack errors.
Haddock collected 11 kills, while Arnold earned eight kills, six digs, and four total blocks. Alyssa Wilson also finished with eight kills, and Spaustat and Brittany Crenshaw contributed seven kills apiece. Hughes notched 42 assists, three kills, three service aces, and five digs, and Amanda Arterburn led all players with 13 defensive digs.
Seattle University (4-18) will play its first regular season home match in 50 days when Cal State Bakersfield comes to the Connolly Center North Court Friday, Nov. 4, for a 7 p.m. contest. It is the annual Dig Pink match, as the Redhawks will be wearing pink to raise awareness for breast cancer research.