MAINTAINING MOMENTUM: After getting off to its best start as a Division I program, Seattle University looks to maintain its positive momentum this weekend as it heads to Moscow, Idaho, for the Idaho Volleyball Classic. The Redhawks will face former conference foe and host Idaho Friday night at 7 p.m. before taking on Washington State (10 a.m.) and UC Irvine (4:30 p.m.) Saturday.
THE MOLTEN CLASSIC: Seattle University won the Molten Classic, hosted by the University of California at Haas Pavilion, with three-set sweeps over Eastern Washington, Nevada, and the host Golden Bears. In the opening match of the weekend against the Eagles, Jelena Vujcin led the Redhawks with seven kills and nine total blocks, while Iris Ivanis also had seven kills to go along with seven digs and four total blocks. Led by Kirstin Schauble’s four service aces, Seattle U totaled nine aces as a team as well as 15 team blocks while making just five attack errors for a .333 hitting percentage. Saturday against Nevada, Vujcin again led the way with 13 kills, with Mamta Mamic collecting eight kills, three service aces, and six digs, and Ivanis contributing seven kills and eight digs. Defensively, Maja Stojanovic led the team at the net with 10 total blocks, and libero Mary Orbeta led the backline with 16 defensive digs. Setter Kerry Lane notched her eighth career double-double with 33 assists and 11 digs to go along with three kills and four block assists. In the de facto championship match against Cal, Vujcin stayed on the court in all rotations, finishing with nine kills, six digs, and five service aces, part of a Redhawk service game that collected 12 total aces. Mamic also finished with nine kills, and Ivanis added seven kills, seven digs, and two aces. After Lane earned 22 assists through the first two-and-a-half sets, Shae Harris came on and helped the Redhawks complete the sweep with eight assists and two service aces. The win over Cal completed the best start to a season for Seattle U since the team went 4-0 to start the 2002 campaign.
TOURNAMENT HONORS: At the Molten Classic Aug. 28-29 in Berkeley, Calif., Jelena Vujcin was named tournament MVP after leading the Redhawks with 29 kills, plus earning 15 total blocks, 11 digs, and five aces over the weekend. Kerry Lane was named to the All-Tournament Team, as she finished with 80 assists, 17 digs, 10 total blocks, and four aces. Maja Stojanovic was also selected to the All-Tournament Team after leading the Redhawks with 19 total blocks to go along with 11 kills.