The Seattle University volleyball team used a similar path to victory in its first two matches of the 2012 season Friday, as the Redhawks won the first two sets and then rebounded after losing the third set to defeat both Presbyterian College and Eastern Washington, 3-1, at the UniWyo Wyoming Invitational at the UniWyo Sports Complex.
Seattle U 3, Presbyterian College 1 (25-15, 25-21, 21-25, 25-22)
In the first set of the tournament's opening contest, Seattle U opened a 12-7 advantage before Presbyterian came back and pulled into a 13-13 tie. The Redhawks closed out the set on a 12-2 run, punctuated by two Kaytlyn Dill (Bothell, Wash.) service aces sandwiched around a kill by Allison Farley (Happy Valley, Ore.).
The second set was also close in the early portion, with Seattle U scoring five unanswered points after the Blue Hose had tied the set at 12-12. A four-point Presbyterian scoring run closed the gap to two at 19-17, but two kills from Karina Miastkowska (Northbrook, Ill.) helped hold off the Blue Hose as Seattle U established a 2-0 match lead.
With the third set tied at 15-15, it was Presbyterian who made the run to pull away, outscoring Seattle U 8-2 to take a 23-17 lead and eventually extend the match into a fourth set. Numerous attack errors by the Blue Hose allowed the Redhawks to take the early lead in the fourth set, but a 9-2 Presbyterian run knotted the fourth set at 18-18. Back-to-back kills by Farley and Dill gave Seattle U the lead for good, and Dill closed out the set and the match with her ninth kill.
Sarah Jaeckel (Littleton, Colo.) led Seattle U with 11 kills, while Miastkowska earned 10 kills and Dill added three service aces and eight digs to her kill total. Jacquie Brice (Fullerton, Calif.) notched her first career double-double, leading the team with 36 assists and 13 digs, and Farley led the way at the net with six total blocks to go along with seven kills.
Seattle U 3, Eastern Washington 1 (25-16, 25-20, 23-25, 25-23)
Back-to-back kills by Miastkowska and Dill allowed Seattle U to take the lead in the first set of the afternoon match, one it would not relinquish. Dill notched three kills and a service ace as the Redhawks extended the lead to 19-13, and two errors by the Eagles allowed Seattle U to win the opening set, 25-16.
Eastern Washington used a 12-3 scoring run to pull out to a 15-6 advantage in the second set, but the Redhawks fought back, scoring eight unanswered points thanks in part to four kills by Jaeckel. Eastern Washington regained the lead at 19-17, but two kills and a block assist from Karli Pedone (Granite Bay, Calif.) helped Seattle U score six straight points, and a kill by Jaeckel gave the Redhawks the 2-0 match lead.
The Eagles did not quit, using an 11-3 scoring run in the third set to pull ahead, 18-10, but once again Seattle U responded, using a 10-2 run to pull into a 20-20 tie. Farley notched a kill and a service ace to give the Redhawks a 23-21 lead, but the Eagles scored the final four points thanks to a kill by Kelsey Julian, back-to-back service aces from Kellen Barfield, and a kill by Shelby Puckett.
Eastern Washington grabbed the early lead in the fourth set, 7-2, before Seattle U scored six unanswered points to pull into a 9-9 tie. The Eagles went back on top by as many as four points during the set, but consecutive kills by Jaeckel and one from Dill started another Redhawk comeback. Kills by Jaeckel and Dill put Seattle U ahead, 22-21, and Miastkowska finished off the match with a kill of her own.
Jaeckel again led the Redhawks offensively with 19 kills, plus she earned nine defensive digs, while Dill finished the match with 15 kills, three service aces, and nine digs. Brice dished out 42 assists, plus she earned three kills and seven digs, and Lani Beadle (Seattle, Wash.) led the team in the back with 11 defensive digs.
Seattle University (2-0) will face San Francisco Saturday at 11 a.m. local time (10 a.m. Pacific time) before concluding the weekend against the host Wyoming Cowgirls Saturday night at 7 p.m. local time (6 p.m. Pacific time).