HOME SWEET HOME: The Seattle University volleyball team has played 17 of its first 20 matches away from home. However, the upcoming schedule is much kinder to the Redhawks, as six of Seattle U’s next eight matches take place in the friendly confines of the Connolly Center. Having won four of their last six matches, the Redhawks look to maintain that positive momentum on this four-match homestand, starting Friday against Idaho and continuing Monday against Grand Canyon.
LAST WEEK: Seattle University went 2-1 during its three-match road trip last week to end the week in a tie for fourth place in the WAC standings at 3-2. The Redhawks defeated Grand Canyon, 3-1 (22-25, 25-21, 25-20, 25-19), and Texas-Pan American, 3-1 (28-26, 25-21, 18-25, 25-21), before losing to conference leader New Mexico State, 3-1 (24-26, 25-15, 25-14, 25-21). A Croatian notched a double-double in each of the matches. Iris Ivanis collected her second and third double-doubles of the season at Grand Canyon (17 kills, 11 digs) and at Texas-Pan American (15 kills, 11 digs). On Sunday, it was teammate Matea Mamic with her first career double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs against New Mexico State. Stephanie Stoll enjoyed a solid week, collecting eight kills and five blocks against Grand Canyon, followed by career-high performances with 11 kills against Texas-Pan American and seven total blocks against New Mexico State. The three-match winning streak was the longest for the Redhawks since a nine-match winning streak near the end of the 2010 season. The 3-2 WAC start is the best conference record after five matches for the Redhawks since Seattle U started the 2005 season 8-0 within the Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
WAC STATISTICAL HIGHLIGHTS: Through matches of Oct. 7, Kerry Lane is sixth in the Western Athletic Conference in assists with 8.63 assists per set, while Allison Farley finds herself in eight place in hitting percentage with a mark of .260 so far this season. Iris Ivanis is in eighth place in service aces (0.30 aces/set), and Lani Beadle has moved into ninth place in digs (3.03 digs/set). In WAC matches only, Lane is second in the conference in assists with 10.33 assists per set, while Iris Ivanis is fourth in kills, averaging 3.40 kills per set, and sixth in service aces with 0.35 aces per set. Also, Beadle is fifth in digs in WAC matches with 4.29 digs per set.
SCOUTING IDAHO: The Vandals enter Friday’s match with a 10-7 overall record, including a 3-2 conference record that puts them in a tie for fourth place with Seattle U in the WAC standings. In all matches, Idaho currently leads the league with a .241 hitting percentage. Three Vandals are in the top nine individually in hitting percentage, including WAC leader Alyssa Schultz (.389) along with Taylor Wilkinson in fifth place (.295) and Jessica Hastriter in ninth place (.256). Schultz is third in the conference in blocks (1.18 blocks/set), while Hastriter is fourth in the league in kills (3.22 kills/set). Meredith Coba leads the league in assists per set with 10.15, and Jenna Ellis is fourth in the WAC with 3.91 digs per set.
SEATTLE U VS. IDAHO: This will be the fifth meeting all-time between the Redhawks and the Vandals, with the two squads splitting the previous four contests. Seattle U won the first two meetings, both taking place at neutral sites. On Sept. 12, 2008, in Portland, Ore., the Redhawks pulled out a five-set victory, winning the fifth set 15-6. In Spokane, Wash., on Sept. 17, 2010, Seattle U prevailed in four sets over the Vandals. In the teams’ first meetings as conference foes last season, Idaho swept the season series from the Redhawks. On Oct. 5, 2012, in Seattle, Seattle U rallied from a 2-1 match deficit to force a fifth set, but Idaho would earn the match win by taking the deciding set, 15-13. Among current players, Lani Beadle collected 30 digs in that match for the Redhawks, while Alyssa Schultz earned 14 kills and seven total blocks for the Vandals. In the rematch Nov. 3, 2012, in Moscow, Idaho won in four sets. Sarah Jaeckel collected 15 kills and seven digs while Beadle earned 21 digs and eight assists. Schultz had another solid match for Idaho with seven kills and nine total blocks.
SCOUTING GRAND CANYON: The Antelopes are currently 7-9 overall and 1-3 in conference play, good enough for seventh place in the league standings. Grand Canyon is the host for the WAC Volleyball Tournament Nov. 25-27, but is not eligible to compete in the tournament because it is not eligible to receive the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Grand Canyon lost to Boise State Monday night, 3-0, and will host Utah Valley Saturday before coming to Seattle. Mackenzie Phelps leads the WAC in digs, averaging 5.60 digs per set, while Kaitlynn Ausmus is eighth in the league in kills with 2.94 kills per set. In WAC matches only, Ausmus has 3.59 kills per set and Phelps has 5.47 digs per set, both tops in the league.
EARLIER THIS SEASON: This will be the second meeting between Seattle U and Grand Canyon in the span of 12 days. On Oct. 2 in Phoenix, the Antelopes took the first set, 25-22, before Seattle U’s defense tightened up, allowing the Redhawks to win the next three sets (25-21, 25-20, 25-19) and the match. Iris Ivanis notched her second double-double of the season with 17 kills and 11 digs, while Allison Farley earned 13 kills, a .407 hitting percentage, five digs, and three block assists. Stephanie Stoll finished with a career-high eight kills, plus she earned five total blocks at the net. Kerry Lane dished out 50 assists, and Lani Beadle posted a season-high total of 24 digs. Lanie Muys and Shannon Dugan led Grand Canyon with 11 kills apiece, and Mackenzie Phelps paced the Antelope backline with 20 digs.