START IT UP: The Seattle University volleyball team travels to Albuquerque, N.M., Thursday for the opening weekend of the 2014 season, participating in the Lobo Classic. The Redhawks will face host school New Mexico and UTEP Friday before closing the weekend against 2013 national semifinalist Texas Saturday. Nine returners and five newcomers currently make up the 2014 Redhawk roster as the team looks to fulfill high expectations set within the program.
THE 2013 SEASON: With a new head coach and half of the roster consisting of new players, the Seattle U volleyball team entered the 2013 with cautious optimism. The team’s confidence received a quick boost with the season-opening victory over Big 12 school Texas Tech, part of a 2-1 opening weekend. However, the combination of inexperience and injuries led to a 11-match losing streak, stopped when a fired-up Redhawk squad swept Nevada on a Saturday morning in Pullman, Wash. After losing in four sets to Bakersfield to open the WAC schedule, the Redhawks pulled out a five-set victory over Utah Valley, starting a stretch in which they won seven of eight matches, including five home matches in a row. At that point in the season, Seattle U was at the top of the WAC standings with a 7-2 league record. The second half of the league season proved to be tougher for Seattle U, as the Redhawks won just two of their final seven contests. However, the team was able to finish with a 9-7 league mark, the first time it finished over .500 in conference play since posting a 9-7 record in the Division II GNAC in 2006. Seattle U more than doubled its WAC win total from last season and qualified for the WAC Tournament for the first time. In Phoenix, Ariz., the sixth-seeded Redhawks upset third seed Utah Valley, coming from two sets to one down to defeat the Wolverines, 15-13 in the fifth set. Seattle U won the first set of its semifinal match against second seed Bakersfield the next night, but the Roadrunners won three straight sets to eliminate the Redhawks. Iris Ivanis, the team leader in total kills and service aces, was named WAC Freshman of the Year, plus she earned Second Team All-WAC honors along with Martina Samadan, who hit .416 and averaged 3.24 kills and 1.00 blocks per set. Setter Kerry Lane joined Ivanis on the WAC All-Newcomer Team after averaging 9.36 assists per set.
SCOUTING NEW MEXICO: The Lobos enter the 2014 season after finishing 24-7 in 2013, including 14-6 within the Mountain West Conference. Chantale Riddle, a two-time All-American, was named the Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year after leading New Mexico last season with 468 kills and 17 service aces, plus collecting 240 digs and 104 total blocks. Julia Warren was the Mountain West Freshman of the Year last season after earning 222 kills and 231 digs in 2013, while Hannah Johnson established herself as the team’s setter, earning 1,220 assists plus 324 digs to earn all-conference honors. Head coach Jeff Nelson enters his eighth season at New Mexico, leading the Lobos to the most wins in a season since 1988. This will be the first meeting all-time between Seattle U and New Mexico
SCOUTING UTEP: The Miners are coming off a 14-16 season in 2013, including a 7-7 record within Conference USA. Holly Watts enters her second season as the UTEP head coach. Talia Jones is the team’s leading returning player, earning 330 kills and 33 service aces during the 2013 season. The Miners will be looking for a new starting setter and starting libero, as just two starters return from last year’s squad. Seattle U and UTEP will be facing each other for the first time ever on the volleyball court.
SCOUTING TEXAS: The Longhorns saw their 2013 season end in Seattle, as Texas reached the NCAA Tournament national semifinals at KeyArena last December before losing to Wisconsin, 3-1. Texas, starting the 2014 season ranked #2 in the AVCA preseason poll, finished the 2013 campaign with a 27-3 overall record, including a perfect 16-0 mark within the Big 12 Conference. The only other losses for the Longhorns came at Hawaii in the season opener and against Arizona State. Head coach Jerritt Elliott enters his 14th season as the head coach at Texas, leading the Longhorns to the 2012 national championship. Senior Haley Eckerman led Texas last season with 447 kills and 38 service aces, plus she hit .272 during the year. Chloe Collins, who earned 403 assists last season, enters her sophomore season as the only setter currently listed on the Texas roster. Seattle U will face Texas for the first time ever,
THE OPENING WEEKEND: This is the seventh season in which Seattle U volleyball will be playing a Division I schedule, and the Redhawks have participated in a tournament every year on opening weekend. Seattle U has won two matches on opening weekend in three of the past four seasons, including on the road in each of the last two years. In 2012, the Redhawks defeated Presbyterian and Eastern Washington at a tournament hosted by Wyoming. Last season at Weber State, Seattle U defeated Texas Tech and UC Riverside to open the year 2-1.
ACCESS TO THIS WEEKEND’S MATCHES: Only the match against New Mexico Friday, Aug. 29, will have a live video stream thanks to the Mountain West Network. The other two matches Seattle U will play in over the weekend will have live stats only. All links can be found on GoSeattleU.com.