The CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners got off to a hot start, and although Seattle University was able to tie the match at one set apiece, the visiting team's offensive pressure was too much for the Redhawks as CSU Bakersfield earned a 3-1 victory (25-13, 23-25, 25-18, 25-22) Saturday night in volleyball action at the Connolly Center.
Kaytlyn Dill (Bothell, Wash.) once again led the Redhawk offense with 13 digs to go along with two service aces and two block assists, while Cristin Richards (Tumwater, Wash.) came off the bench and notched a double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs. Megan Augustavo (Shoreline, Wash.) dished out 40 assists to go along with two kills, and Allison Farley (Happy Valley, Ore.) added eight kills, four digs, and three block assists.
CSU Bakersfield (7-17) opened the first set with an 8-3 scoring run, including three kills and a service ace by Haleigh Haratyk. The Roadrunners continued to expand the lead throughout the set, finishing things off with a kill by Molly O'Hagan and a Redhawk attack error. For the set, CSU Bakersfield hit .700, connecting on 15-of-20 attack attempts with one error.
The Roadrunners won the first three points of the second set before Seattle U responded with a 7-2 scoring run, helped by two kills apiece from Dill and Farley, to pull ahead, 7-5. Kills by Brittney Hopley and Tika Smith gave CSU Bakersfield a 17-13 advantage, but the Redhawks struck back with seven unanswered points, led by two service aces from Dill, to go ahead, 20-17. Another kill by Dill led to set point and, after a kill by Haratyk and a service ace from Lisa Bartsch, Seattle U clinched the set on a block by Dill, Farley, and Alec Goodrie (Springfield, Ore.).
Seattle U took advantage of Roadrunner errors to take a 7-5 lead in the third set before Haratyk responded with a kill and a service ace to force a tie. Later in the set, another Haratyk kill started an 11-5 Roadrunner run that was punctuated by consecutive service aces from Hopley. The Redhawks started their own rally with a kill by Richards and a service ace from Augustavo, but back-to-back kills by O'Hagan gave CSU Bakersfield a 2-1 lead in the match.
Richards started the fourth set with a kill and a service ace, but three kills from Haratyk and back-to-back blocks involving Hopley allowed the Roadrunners to briefly take the early lead. A 6-1 Redhawk scoring run that included a kill and a service ace by Sarah Jaeckel (Littleton, Colo.) gave Seattle U a 10-6 lead. Once again, CSU Bakersfield chipped away at the lead with an 8-3 scoring run that included a kill and a service ace by O'Hagan.
With the fourth set tied at 20-20, Haratyk picked up two kills sandwiched around a service ace from Smith to give CSU Bakersfield a 23-20 advantage. Kills by Richards and Dill kept Seattle U in the match, but another Haratyk kill and a bad set by Seattle U ended the contest in the Roadrunners' favor.
Haratyk finished with a double-double, collecting 19 kills and 10 digs along with two service aces, while O'Hagan earned 12 kills in 16 chances with two errors for a .625 hitting percentage. Hopley contributed 11 kills, three service aces, and seven total blocks, and Smith finished with eight kills, three service aces, and 10 digs. Bartsch played a solid all-around match with 49 assists, two kills, two service aces, and four digs, Chelcy Motes contributed four kills and six total blocks, and libero Lauren Holderman led all players with 14 defensive digs.
Seattle University (5-19) will host Portland State in the home finale of the 2011 season Thursday, Nov. 10, starting at 7 p.m. at the Connolly Center. Augustavo, Jordan Keller (Mukilteo, Wash.), and Richards will be honored for their contributions to the program in Senior Night ceremonies. Live stats and live video will be available on GoSeattleU.com.