ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Seattle University was able to spend a couple of days at home before hitting the road again Monday, making the trip south to face nationally-ranked Oregon in Eugene, Ore., Tuesday evening. After returning from Eugene, the Redhawks will begin fall quarter classes, and then the team heads to Orem, Utah, for the start of the conference schedule, facing the Utah Valley Wolverines.
LAST WEEK: Seattle University saw success on the road this past week, winning its first two true road matches of the season at Eastern Washington and at Montana before dropping a neutral-site contest to Gonzaga. Tuesday night, the Redhawks were able to rally from a 2-1 match deficit to defeat Eastern Washington, 3-2 (17-25, 25-13, 15-25, 25-17, 15-11). Samadan finished the match with 19 kills, tying the career high she established last season against Grand Canyon, as well as a .471 hitting percentage, two service aces, and four total blocks. For the junior, 12 of those kills came in the final two sets. Iris Ivanis, starting on the right side for the first time this season, notched her first double-double of the season and the seventh of her career, collecting a season-high 16 kills and a career-high 13 digs, hitting .387 for the match. Jelena Vujcin gave the Redhawks a major lift in the final two sets, earning seven kills in nine attack attempts. Thursday night, Seattle U held off a Montana rally, defeating the Grizzlies 3-2 (26-24, 18-25, 25-18, 20-25, 15-10). Samadan earned a career-high 22 kills in 31 attack attempts with just two errors for a .645 hitting percentage, the fifth-highest single-match hitting percentage by an individual in program history. Vujcin once again gave the Redhawks a significant lift, finishing with 16 kills, three service aces, and nine digs, while Matea Mamic collected eight kills and Ivanis contributed six kills and 10 defensive digs. The next night, Samadan hurt her ankle in the opening set, and Seattle U never fully recovered, losing to Gonzaga 3-0 (25-12, 25-17, 27-25). Ivanis led the team with 10 kills, plus she earned six digs and three block assists, while Mamic finished with seven kills and a team-high seven digs.
ACCESS TO THIS WEEKEND’S MATCHES: Links to live video and live stats of both matches this week will be available on the volleyball schedule page of GoSeattleU.com.
SCOUTING OREGON: The Ducks enter Tuesday’s match with a 9-0 overall record after defeating Portland State last Monday, 3-1. Oregon has wins over Big Ten programs Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State, as well as over nationally-ranked Hawaii and New Mexico. As a team, the Ducks are hitting .298 and averaging 13.89 kills, 1.34 service aces, 13.89 digs, and 2.66 blocks per set. Liz Brenner leads the team with 105 kills, plus she is second on the squad with 10 service aces and 113 digs. Martenne Bettendorf is closed behind Brenner with 103 kills to go along with 27 team blocks. The setting duties have been split between Maggie Scott (233 assists) and Shellsy Ashen (186 assists). Serena Warner leads the team with 13 service aces and 40 total blocks, and Amanda Benson is the team leader in defensive digs with 129 digs.
SEATTLE U VS. OREGON: This will be the sixth meeting all-time between the Redhawks and the Ducks, with Oregon winning all five previous meetings. Oregon won the matches in 2008 and 2009 held in Eugene in three sets. On Sept. 6, 2010, Oregon made its only visit to the Connolly Center and took the first set before Seattle U won the next two sets for a 2-1 match lead. However, the Ducks rallied for a 3-2 win (25-15, 18-25, 19-25, 25-12, 15-9). Oregon swept Seattle U back in Eugene in both 2011 and 2013.
SCOUTING UTAH VALLEY: The Wolverines are 5-9 entering Saturday’s conference opener, winning four of their last six matches, including back-to-back five-set victories over UC Riverside and Portland last weekend. Four of Utah Valley’s losses have come against teams ranked in the top 25 at the time of the match (Kansas, Creighton, Washington, BYU). As a team, the Wolverines are hitting .179 and averaging 11.61 kills, 1.31 service aces, 11.69 digs, and 1.80 blocks per set. Lauren Bakker, tabbed as the Preseason WAC Player of the Year by the conference coaches, leads Utah Valley with 122 kills and 48 total blocks, plus she is hitting .335 so far this season. Macky Treanor is close behind Bakker with 115 kills. Starting this past weekend, Sierra Starley (7.19 assists/set) and Jen Hardman (5.38 assists/set) have been sharing the setting duties. McKenna Tait leads the Wolverines with 27 service aces and 222 defensive digs.
SEATTLE U VS. UTAH VALLEY: The Redhawks and Wolverines have split their first four meetings, with Utah Valley drawing first blood with a 3-0 victory in Orem, Utah, Oct. 30, 2008. Last season, the teams split their regular season meetings, with Seattle U winning a five-set thriller at the Connolly Center Sept. 28, 2013, and Utah Valley winning the rematch on its home floor Oct. 26, 2013. In the first round of the 2013 WAC Tournament, Seattle U rallied from a 2-1 match deficit, winning the fifth set 15-13 to advance to the tournament semifinals.
GOING THE DISTANCE: For the first time this season, Seattle U was pushed to five sets Sept. 16 at Eastern Washington, rallying from a 2-1 match deficit to defeat the Eagles, 15-11 in the fifth set. Two nights later, the Redhawks once again were pushed to the limit, this time by the Montana Grizzlies. Seattle U held a 2-1 match lead, but Montana won the fourth set before the Redhawks earned the victory with a 15-10 deciding set win. Seattle U has won seven five-set matches in a row, last losing a five-set contest Oct. 5, 2012, to Idaho. James Finley is 4-0 in five-set matches as head coach of the Redhawks. As a head coach, Finley has won nine five-set matches in a row, last losing a five-set contest while at VCU in the CAA Tournament final against Delaware Nov. 20, 2011.