The Seattle University volleyball team nearly tied the match at one set apiece, but Arizona State was able to pull out the second set and used that momentum to defeat the Redhawks, 3-0 (25-13, 28-26, 25-15), Friday evening in the first match of the Gonzaga Invitational at the Martin Centre.
Freshman Kerry Lane (Tucson, Ariz.) got the match off to a great start with back-to-back service aces, but Arizona State’s defense came alive, blocking three straight Redhawk attacks as the Sun Devils went on a 6-1 run to take the lead. Seattle U closed its deficit to three at 11-8 on consecutive kills by Sarah Jaeckel (Littleton, Colo.), but a 6-2 run gave the Sun Devils some breathing room. Arizona State closed out the first set on an 8-2 run, punctuated by kills from Macey Gardner and Mercedes Binns.
The second set started out as a back-and-forth affair before Seattle U scored nine unanswered points, taking advantage of several Arizona State mistakes to establish a 16-8 lead. Down 20-13, the Sun Devils worked their way back into the set, going on a 9-2 run to tie the set at 22-22. Seattle U earned three kills to set up three set point opportunities, but the Sun Devils turned each of those away. Gardner led Arizona State to the set victory with three consecutive kills.
Arizona State (4-0) used that momentum to take an 8-3 lead in the third set, led by two kills from Gardner and two service aces by Bianca Arellano. The Sun Devils scored nine straight points to extend their advantage to 21-8, but the Redhawks did not give up, outscoring Arizona State 7-3 before a kill by Whitney Follette finally ended the set and the match.
“I was happy to see us find the intensity and the ability to play without hesitation that was missing in the previous two matches,” Seattle U head coach James Finley said. “Now we have to find a way to win. When we had the big lead, we got tight, and we need to have the mental capacity to handle that type of pressure. Hopefully the next time this situation comes up, we will respond in a different way.”
Allison Farley (Happy Valley, Ore.) led the Redhawks with seven kills, two service aces, a .353 hitting percentage, and three total blocks, while Iris Ivanis (Pozega, Croatia) contributed seven kills and five defensive digs. Lane earned 25 assists, two service aces, and two block assists, but Seattle U hit only .066 for the match, the lowest single-match hitting percentage so far this season.
Gardner led all players with 21 kills and a .395 hitting percentage, while Binns contributed five kills and five total blocks. Arellano collected 35 assists, two kills, two service aces, nine digs, and five total blocks, Stephanie Preach led the match with 11 digs, and Jenny Teslevich added two service aces and 10 digs.
Seattle University (2-4) continues play in the Gonzaga Invitational Saturday, Sept. 7, first facing the host Bulldogs at 12 noon, followed by the final match of the weekend against UNLV at 4 p.m.