The Seattle University volleyball team came out with intensity, winning the first two sets of its first-ever Western Athletic Conference match, but New Mexico State cut down on its mistakes after the intermission to pull out a thrilling 3-2 victory (21-25, 23-25, 25-19, 25-20, 15-12) Thursday night at the Connolly Center.
Kaytlyn Dill (Bothell, Wash.) once again led the Redhawk offense with 17 kills, plus she tied a six-year-old school record for most service aces in a single match with eight. Dill also notched her second double-double in as many matches with 17 digs. Allison Farley (Happy Valley, Ore.) earned 16 kills, a .462 hitting percentage, and eight total blocks, and Karina Miastkowska (Northbrook, Ill.) contributed 11 kills and three block assists.
Seattle U jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the first set before making three straight errors to close its lead to two at 6-4. Dill earned two kills and a service ace as the Redhawks scored five straight points to extend their advantage to 11-4. New Mexico State was able to close the deficit to three points , but Miastkowska scored Seattle U's final three points of the set with kills to put the home team ahead in the match.
New Mexico State (7-3, 1-0 WAC) took an early 5-2 lead in the second set before a Farley kill led to three straight aces by Dill. Preslie Alexander earned a kill and two block assists as the Aggies pulled out to a 16-10 lead, but the Redhawks responded with an 11-2 scoring run, highlighted by three more service aces from Dill and back-to-back blocks by Farley and Jacquie Brice (Fullerton, Calif.). After two Seattle U errors on previous set points, Sarah Jaeckel (Littleton, Colo.) closed out the second set with a kill to put the Redhawks ahead, 2-0.
The two teams traded points at the start of the third set before New Mexico State scored three straight points to go ahead, 9-6. Lauren Loerch earned two solo blocks and a kill to extend the Aggies' lead to 15-10, and New Mexico State continued to keep Seattle U at a distance, extending the match into the fourth set on a kill by Meredith Hays.
Desiree Scott and Nathalie Castellanos combined for two blocks and a kill apiece to help the Aggies take an 8-4 lead in the fourth set, but Seattle U used two kills from Karli Pedone (Granite Bay, Calif.) and a service ace by Lani Beadle (Seattle, Wash.) to score the next four points for an 8-8 tie. Down 19-14 after kills by Dill and Farley and another Dill service ace, the Aggies scored 11 of the final 12 points of the set, starting with consecutive kills by Hays and concluding with five straight Redhawk attack errors.
Two kills by Dill and a service ace from Andi Lowrance (Phoenix, Ariz.) put the Redhawks ahead in the fifth set, 3-0, but the Aggies worked their way back into the set, as two kills and a block from Alexander pulled New Mexico State out in front, 12-9. Farley and Dill combined for a block and a kill apiece to bring the Redhawks within one, but Hays picked up three kills and Ciara Brown closed out the set and the match with a service ace.
Brice dished out 49 assists in the match to go along with six digs and four total blocks, and Seattle U earned more digs than New Mexico State, 79-65, thanks in part to 21 digs each from Beadle and McKenzie Daniels (Edmonds, Wash.). As a team, the Redhawks finished with 13 service aces and 59 kills, but 43 attack errors and 10 service errors hurt the home team.
Hays, the preseason pick for WAC Player of the Year, led the Aggies with 18 kills, plus she collected 13 digs and four total blocks. Loerch earned 13 kills in the match, and the setting duties were split between Taylor Livoti (19 assists) and Ciara Brown (18 assists). New Mexico State earned 23 team blocks, led by 12 total blocks by Scott and six total blocks each for Alexander and Bradley Nash.
Seattle University (5-6, 0-1 WAC) will look to bounce back Saturday night, Sept. 15, against the Denver Pioneers beginning at 6 p.m. at the Connolly Center. Denver fell to Idaho in three straight sets on the opening night of WAC play, while Utah State defeated UTSA and Texas State defeated San Jose State by 3-1 counts.