HIGH EXPECTATIONS: The Seattle University volleyball team opens its 17th season since its reinstatement in 1999 with a trip to Northern California for the Molten Classic, hosted by the University of California at Haas Pavilion. The Redhawks open the season with in-state rival Eastern Washington across the net, followed by matches against Nevada and the host Bears. The Redhawks will play their first 15 matches away from home, plus they will host matches at Seattle Academy this season due to construction at the Connolly Center. Despite those issues, confidence is high within the Seattle U program, as a blend of returning players and talented newcomers should continue the improvement the team has seen over the past couple of years.
WRAPPING UP 2014: Seattle University posted a 14-17 overall record last season, including an 8-6 mark within the Western Athletic Conference that placed the team in a tie for fourth place in the league standings. The non-conference slate was highlighted by two teams from the previous year’s national semifinals, as the Redhawks faced Texas at New Mexico’s tournament and made the short drive to Montlake to take on Washington. The highlight of the non-conference season was back-to-back thrilling five-set victories at Eastern Washington and at Montana. After losing a tough five-set match to Utah Valley in the conference opener, Seattle U won three straight WAC matches, highlighted by a 3-1 victory over defending WAC champion New Mexico State. The Redhawks would sweep Chicago State, UT Pan American, and Grand Canyon during the regular season. For the second straight year, Seattle U faced Utah Valley in the first round of the WAC Tournament, and the Redhawks once again eliminated the Wolverines in five sets, winning the deciding set 19-17. Seattle U upset Missouri-Kansas City, the regular season WAC champions, in the semifinals, taking the fifth set 16-14. Although Seattle U lost to CSU Bakersfield in the final, Martina Samadan, previously named First Team All-WAC, and Matea Mamic earned spots on the All-WAC Tournament Team. Samadan led the team with 301 kills, 24 service aces, and 131 total blocks. Setter Kerry Lane passed the 1,000-assist mark for the second straight season, finishing with 1,107 assists. Iris Ivanis played well all around the court, finishing with a team-high 248 digs to go along with 221 kills. Besides Samadan, Jelena Vujcin also received a postseason honor, as she was voted onto the WAC All-Newcomer squad.
WICKED SMART: The 2014-15 Seattle U volleyball team excelled in the classroom, earning the AVCA Team Academic Award after posting a cumulative grade point average over 3.30 last year. Eight members of the team received Academic All-WAC recognition, including returners Iris Ivanis, Kerry Lane, Martina Samadan, and Kirstin Schauble.
GOING THE DISTANCE: One of the reasons Seattle U found success last season was its ability to persevere in long matches, as the Redhawks went 5-1 in five-set contests during the 2014 season. The first two five-set matches came in back-to-back contests on the road in mid-September, as the Redhawks rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Eastern Washington, winning the fifth set 15-11, and then holding on to defeat Montana in five sets after taking the deciding set 15-10. After defeating Grand Canyon in five sets on Nov. 13, the Redhawks were able to advance to the finals of the WAC Tournament thanks to dramatic five-set victories over Utah Valley and Missouri-Kansas City on back-to-back nights. In James Finley’s two seasons at Seattle U, the Redhawks are 7-1 in five-set matches.