After battling to split the first two sets, the Seattle University volleyball team controlled more of the action after the intermission, defeating the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 3-1 (30-28, 21-25, 25-23, 25-21) Monday night in the final match of the Middle Tennessee Invitational at Alumni Memorial Gym.
Martina Samadan (Split, Croatia) led the Redhawk offense with 14 kills and a .481 hitting percentage, while Iris Ivanis (Pozega, Croatia) notched a double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs. Matea Mamic (Split, Croatia) contributed nine kills, eight digs, four service aces, and three assists, helping Kerry Lane (Tucson, Ariz.), who collected 32 assists along with four kills, three blocks, and two digs. Defensively, Maja Stojanovic (Cacak, Serbia) led Seattle U with nine total blocks, teaming with Jelena Vujcin (Becej, Serbia) on most of them, as Vujcin finished with seven block assists along with eight kills, five digs, and two service aces.
“I am pleased with the way the team fought through adversity tonight, battling to win the first set and then coming back after losing the second set to close out the match,” Seattle U head coach James Finley said. “All of our previous matches had gone only three sets, so the players needed to experience a longer match, and getting a win on the road is always good.”
With the match tied at one set apiece, Seattle U took control of the third set with an 11-3 scoring run, but the Blue Raiders would respond with their own 7-1 scoring run, starting with three straight kills by Rachel Shaughnessy, to close the Redhawk lead to 14-12. Three kills by Samadan late in the set allowed the Redhawks to maintain their lead, and a Middle Tennessee service error clinched the third set for Seattle U.
Led by Vujcin with two kills and a block assist, Seattle U scored five of the first six points of the fourth set, but three kills by Middle Tennessee’s Miri Shade helped close the Redhawk lead to two at 11-9. Kills by Shaughnessy and Chelsea Ross as well as an ace by Jacqueline Lux tied the set at 19-19, but Seattle U would score five of the final six points of the set, clinching the match on a kill by Vujcin.
The first set was a battle, starting when Seattle U scored four straight points to pull ahead 7-4. The two teams traded points until a kill and a block assist by Shaughnessy allowed Middle Tennessee to tie the set at 14-14. The Redhawks responded with three straight points, including kills by Vujcin and Lane, to retake the lead at 17-14.
Two kills by Ross and a service ace from Lux allowed the Blue Raiders to pull into an 18-18 tie, and then Ross earned two more kills as well as a service ace of her own to give the home team a 22-20 advantage. Middle Tennessee had four chances to close out the set, but the Redhawks held off the Blue Raiders, and then a kill by Mamic followed by two Middle Tennessee errors allowed the Redhawks to prevail in the opening set.
The Redhawks scored the first two points of the second set on a kill and a service ace by Mamic, but Middle Tennessee would score four of the next five points, starting with two kills from Ross and punctuated by a service ace from Brianna Pannone. After taking a timeout, Seattle U scored three straight points, with kills by Ivanis and Mila Duarte (Lima, Peru) sandwiched around a block by Duarte and Stojanovic.
Middle Tennessee (1-10) scored four unanswered points, three of them on kills by Ross, to go ahead 15-13 before consecutive kills by Samadan tied the set at 15-15. The Blue Raiders would close out the second set with a 6-2 scoring run, with the final two points coming on blocks that both involved LaVondria Covington.
Ross led the Blue Raiders with 28 kills, while Shaughnessy contributed 11 kills while hitting .611 in the match. As a team, Seattle U posted a .254 hitting percentage and collected 12 team blocks, overcoming the fact that Middle Tennessee earned more kills (54-50) and more digs (44-40) than the Redhawks.
Seattle University (5-4) heads to southern Florida for the FIU/Miami Challenge, playing four matches over the span of two days. The Redhawks will take on Central Florida at 11 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday, Sept. 17, followed by a match at Miami at 7 p.m. local time. On Friday, Sept. 18, Seattle U faces Bethune Cookman at 1 p.m. Eastern time and Florida International at 7 p.m. local time.