The Seattle University volleyball team could not find its rhythm Saturday, losing to both Washington State, 3-0 (25-12, 25-15, 25-23), and to UC Irvine, 3-0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-18) as play concluded at the Idaho Volleyball Classic at Memorial Gym.
“Hopefully we will take this experience to learn about playing against quick offenses and the different schemes we will see,” Seattle U head coach James Finley said. “Martina (Samadan) and Kirstin (Schauble) enjoyed solid performances throughout the weekend, but we needed a better overall effort from the team as a whole.”
UC Irvine 3, Seattle U 0
UC Irvine (3-3) went on a 5-1 run early in the opening set to take a four-point lead, but two kills by Martina Samadan (Split, Croatia) later in the set would pull the Redhawks to within one at 15-14. The Anteaters would close out the set with a 7-2 scoring run, led by Harlee Kekauoha with two service aces and a kill, with Ella Rosenfeld closing out the set with a kill.
The Anteaters scored three of the first four points of the second set to maintain its momentum, but a kill by Matea Mamic (Split, Croatia) would close the Redhawk deficit to one at 8-7. UC Irvine responded with a 5-1 scoring run, led by Kekauoha with two kills and a block assist, to increase its lead to five midway through the set. The Anteaters closed out the second set with a 10-4 scoring run, led by Kekauoha, Sydney Wright, and Emily Blair with two kills apiece. Luna Tsujimoto clinched the set with a service ace to give the Anteaters a 2-0 match lead heading into the intermission.
Once again led by a kill and a service ace by Kekauoha, UC Irvine scored four straight points to take a 5-2 lead in the third set, and the Anteaters would slowly extend their lead as the set went on, pulling ahead 16-10 on a kill by Victoria Dennis. Kills by Samadan and Shae Harris (Vancouver, B.C.), as well as a block from Harris and Maja Stojanovic (Cacak, Serbia) closed the Redhawk deficit to three, but after exchanging points, the Anteaters would close out the set and the match with a 5-1 scoring run, with Rosenfeld again clinching the set with a kill.
Mamic led the Redhawks offensively with nine kills and a .381 hitting percentage, while Samadan finished with eight kills, as did Iris Ivanis (Pozega, Croatia). Kerry Lane (Tucson, Ariz.) collected 21 assists in the first two sets, with Harris earning 11 assists and two kills in the third set. Defensively, Kirstin Schauble (Meadow Vista, Calif.) led Seattle U with seven digs.
Kekauoha led UC Irvine with 15 kills on 20 attempts without an attack error for a .750 hitting percentage, plus she earned four service aces. As a team, the Anteaters hit .382 in the match, including over .500 in the second and third sets. UC Irvine also finished with nine service aces and 38 digs, while Seattle U accumulated just one service ace and 22 digs in the match.
Washington State 3, Seattle U 0
The two teams exchanged the first 14 points of the opening set before kills by Haley MacDonald and Kyra Holt gave Washington State a 9-7 lead. After an attack error, the Cougars scored 10 straight points to open an 11-point advantage before Seattle U stopped the run thanks to a block by Stojanovic and Mila Duarte (Lima, Peru). Washington State won the final four points of the set, capped by two kills from McKenna Woodford sandwiched around a service ace by Tani Stephens.
After a kill by Ivanis tied the second set at 7-7, Washington State scored four straight points, capped by a service ace from Olivia Coale. The Cougars extended the lead with a 5-1 scoring run, featuring a block assist and a kill by Woodford, and then they closed the set with another 5-1 streak, led by Woodford with two service aces and Holt with two kills.
The third set was close throughout as both teams posted a hitting percentage above .300 in the set. The Redhawks won three of the first four points before the Cougars won the next four points, including two blocks involving Claire Martin. After Seattle U took an 11-9 lead, Washington State won five of the next six points, capped by a service ace from Kate Sommer, to retake the lead at 14-12.
Samadan notched two kills as the Redhawks scored four unanswered points to pull ahead, 17-15, but the Cougars would once again rally back. After a kill by Samadan put Seattle U ahead 22-21, Washington State closed out the set and the match by scoring four of the final five points, punctuated by a kill from Holt.
Samadan and Mamic led the Redhawks offensively with 10 kills apiece, with Mamic also earning two service aces. After Harris played the first two sets, Lane came on in the third set as the setter and collected 14 assists, four digs, and one kill. Defensively, Schauble again led Seattle U with 11 digs.
Washington State (4-1) was led by Holt with 14 kills and Woodford with nine kills, six digs, two service aces, and three block assists. MacDonald ran a solid offense for the Cougars, earning 29 assists, six kills, and two service aces, while Sommer led the backline with 10 defensive digs.
Seattle University (3-3) continues its road swing next weekend, heading to Murfreesboro, Tenn., for the Middle Tennessee Invitational. The Redhawks will face Kansas State at 10 a.m. local time and Virginia Commonwealth at 5 p.m. Central time next Saturday, Sept. 12.