The Seattle University volleyball team rallied from a first-set loss to win the next three sets, defeating Grand Canyon University, 3-1 (22-25, 25-21, 25-20, 25-19), Wednesday night in a Western Athletic Conference match at Antelope Gymnasium.
With the match tied at one set apiece, Grand Canyon came out of the intermission and took a 6-2 lead in the third set on back-to-back kills by Britta Forsythe and Shannon Dugan. The Redhawks drove ahead thanks to a 10-0 scoring run, led by Iris Ivanis (Pozega, Croatia) with three kills, and would eventually get to set point at 24-16. The Antelopes scored four straight points to extend the set, but Sarah Jaeckel (Littleton, Colo.) finally clinched the set for Seattle U, giving the visitors a 2-1 match lead.
Seattle U maintained its momentum early in the fourth set, using three kills by Allison Farley (Happy Valley, Ore.) to pull ahead, 9-4. The Redhawks scored four straight points, helped by a kill and a block assist from Kerry Lane (Tucson, Ariz.), to extend their advantage to 19-11, and then Seattle U closed out the set and the match with a kill from Jaeckel.
The early part of the first set went back-and-forth until the Redhawks scored four straight points, two of them on kills by Matea Mamic (Split, Croatia), to pull ahead, 13-10. Grand Canyon would put together a 10-1 scoring run, featuring three kills by Kaitlynn Ausmus, to take a six-point lead. On set point, Seattle U extended the set thanks in part to a kill by Stephanie Stoll (Bellevue, Wash.) and a service ace from Lani Beadle (Seattle, Wash.), but a kill by Forsythe clinched the opening set for the Antelopes.
Grand Canyon (7-8, 1-3 WAC) scored four unanswered points early in the second set, led by a kill and a block assist from Lanie Muys, to take an early 7-4 lead. The Redhawks responded with a 5-1 scoring run, and later pulled ahead by four at 17-13 as Jaeckel and Farley notched two kills apiece. The Antelopes closed to within one at 19-18 before Seattle U closed out the set on a 7-3 scoring run, punctuated by two blocks by Stoll and Alec Goodrie (Springfield, Ore.) and a kill from Goodrie.
“We got great defense from Lani tonight, Stephanie got on track, and both Iris and Allison continued their solid play,” Seattle U head coach James Finley said. “We are learning how to push through adversity and building confidence, and hopefully that will continue as we move along on this road trip.”
Ivanis notched her second double-double of the season with 17 kills and 11 digs, plus she earned three service aces, while Farley collected 13 kills on a .407 hitting percentage, five digs, and three total blocks. Stoll contributed eight kills and five total blocks, Lane dished out 50 assists, Jaeckel added seven kills and seven digs off the bench, and Beadle accumulated a season-high 24 digs.
Muys led the Antelopes with 11 kills, two service aces, and three total blocks, while Dugan also finished with 11 kills, plus she earned nine digs. Mackenzie Phelps led Grand Canyon with 20 defensive digs, but the Antelopes were held to a .142 hitting percentage while allowing the Redhawks to hit .240 in the match.
Seattle University (5-13, 2-1 WAC) continues its road trip by heading to Edinburg, Texas, to face UT Pan American Friday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m. local time (5 p.m. Pacific time). The Redhawks will conclude the excursion Sunday, Oct. 6, against New Mexico State in Las Cruces, N.M., starting at 12 noon Mountain time (11 a.m. Pacific time).