After a competitive match against Big 12 member Kansas State won by the Wildcats, 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-23), the Seattle University volleyball team snapped a four-match losing streak with a convincing 3-0 victory over Virginia Commonwealth University (25-19, 25-19, 25-14) Saturday in the Middle Tennessee Invitational, hosted by the Blue Raiders at Alumni Memorial Gym.
“We played a close match against Kansas State, but we struggled with serve receive and made errors at the wrong time,” Seattle U head coach James Finley said. “We had a very nice performance against VCU, especially Matea (Mamic), Jelena (Vujcin), and Martina (Samadan). Kerry (Lane) played well as the setter, and that translated into a good win to carry into Monday’s match.”
Seattle U 3, Virginia Commonwealth 0
Against Finley’s former team, the Redhawks came out of the locker room on a positive note, opening a 13-4 lead in the first set thanks in part to three kills by Matea Mamic (Split, Croatia) and three Seattle U service aces. VCU came within five points twice in the set, but three more kills by Mamic down the stretch helped the Redhawks earn their first set victory since the Cal match Aug. 29.
VCU (3-7) went on an 8-2 scoring run early in the second set, with Sahbria McLetchie earning seven kills in that stretch. The Redhawks answered with their own 9-2 scoring run to open a four-point advantage, and Mamic would eventually close out the set with another kill to give Seattle U a 2-0 match lead.
Led by three total blocks and two kills from Martina Samadan (Split, Croatia), the Redhawks opened a 13-3 lead in the third set. Three straight Seattle U attack errors closed the Redhawk lead to 17-12, but Seattle U would end the set and the match with an 8-2 scoring run, led by Jelena Vujcin (Becej, Serbia) with two kills and a service ace.
Mamic led the Redhawks with 11 kills, a .429 hitting percentage, and nine digs, while Samadan finished with eight kills, a .375 hitting percentage, and six total blocks. Vujcin contributed six kills and five service aces, and setter Kerry Lane (Tucson, Ariz.) dished out 28 assists to go along with four kills and three block assists.
Kansas State 3, Seattle U 0
In the opening set of Seattle U’s first match of the day, Mamic notched three early kills to help the Redhawks establish a two-point lead, but Kansas State went on a 9-1 scoring run, led by Katie Reininger with a kill and two block assists, to open a six-point advantage. The Redhawks closed their deficit to two at 22-20 thanks to kills by Samadan and Vujcin, but kills by Reininger and Katie Brand helped the Wildcats close out the first set.
Kansas State (7-1) maintained that momentum into the second set, using consecutive kills by Reininger to open a 7-2 advantage. Seattle U once again closed the Wildcat lead to two thanks to back-to-back kills by Samadan as well as block from Samadan and Vujcin, but Kansas State held off the Redhawk rally, clinching the second set on a kill by Brand.
In the third set, a kill by Maja Stojanovic (Cacak, Serbia) tied it up at 8-8, but Kansas State scored the next three points, thanks in part to kills by Bryna Vogel and Alyssa Schultejans. Down 18-14, Seattle U scored five unanswered points, led by a kill and a block from Mamic, to take the lead as the set wound down. After a block by Vujcin and Samadan, the Wildcats closed out the set and the match with three straight points, sandwiching kills by Brooke Sassin around a kill by Zsofia Gyimes.
Samadan earned 13 kills on 18 attempts with just one error for a .667 hitting percentage, while Vujcin contributed 11 kills in the match. Three Wildcats notched double-doubles, including Vogel with 13 kills and 10 digs, Sassin with 10 kills and 11 digs, and Brand with 36 assists and 10 digs to go along with five kills of her own.
Seattle University (4-4) remains in Tennessee to prepare for its match against Middle Tennessee Monday, Sept. 14, starting at 7 p.m. local time.