In a battle between two of the top teams in the Western Athletic Conference, Seattle University fought through adversity throughout the night, rallying to win the second and third sets before controlling the fifth set to defeat Missouri-Kansas City, 3-2 (19-25, 27-25, 27-25, 17-25, 15-9) Thursday night at the Swinney Recreation Center.
In the fifth set, Seattle U scored the first five points, starting with kills by Maja Stojanovic (Cacak, Serbia) and Jelena Vujcin (Becej, Serbia), and would eventually extend its lead to 10-2 on back-to-back kills by Martina Samadan (Split, Croatia). UMKC put together a small rally with a kill by Brianna Starr and a service ace from Nicole Wemhoff, but Seattle U was able to hold off the Kangaroos, clinching the set and the match with two kills by Iris Ivanis (Pozega, Croatia).
Vujcin led the Redhawk offense with 18 kills and a .484 hitting percentage, with Matea Mamic (Split, Croatia) earning a double-double with 16 kills and 11 digs and Samadan contributing 15 kills on a .433 hitting percentage and four total blocks. Kerry Lane (Tucson, Ariz.) dished out 56 assists to go along with seven digs, Ivanis contributed nine kills and 12 digs, and Kirstin Schauble (Meadow Vista, Calif.) led the Redhawk defense with 16 digs.
“This was an exciting match. We knew we would have a battle on our hands against a great team like UMKC,” Seattle U head coach James Finley said. “I’m proud of Kirstin stepping in as libero tonight, she really made a difference in serve receive and defense. Kerry set a great game, and I was really excited for Jelena, as she had the best match of her career. Overall, a great team effort, both from the players we expected as well as those who came in at crucial times. It is nice to start conference play 1-0.”
Seattle U went on a 6-1 scoring run to take an early 8-4 lead in the opening set, led by Mamic with four kills. UMKC responded with its own 12-2 scoring run, led by Madison Mosier with four kills and two block assists during the stretch. After Sydney Crimmins picked up a kill and a block to bring about set point, Mosier clinched the opening set for the Kangaroos with a kill.
UMKC (7-6, 0-1 WAC) scored six unanswered points early in the second set, including three kills by Taylor Buhrow and two kills from Meagan Kerns, to take an 8-3 lead. Down 16-9 after a kill by UMKC’s Mosier, the Redhawks started their rally with five straight points, including a kill and a block apiece from Samadan and Ivanis.
The Kangaroos held a 23-19 advantage thanks to a kill by Buhrow, but Seattle U responded with four unanswered points, featuring a kill and a solo block by Vujcin. A kill by Crimmins gave UMKC a chance to win the second set, but a kill by Samadan kept Seattle U in the set, and the Redhawks would eventually win the set and tie the match on a service ace by Ivanis.
UMKC scored four straight points early in the third set, featuring a kill and a service ace by Crimmins, to take an 8-3 lead, but Seattle U would eventually score five unanswered points of its own, with a kill by Ivanis giving the Redhawks an 11-10 advantage. Down 15-12 after another Ivanis kill, the Kangaroos went on a 5-1 scoring run to retake the lead at 17-16.
Seattle U would pull ahead 20-18 on a kill by Vujcin, but UMKC called a timeout and then scored four straight points, led by Buhrow with two kills and a block assist, to once again take the lead at 22-20. Buhrow’s kill brought about set point for the ‘Roos, but kills by Ivanis and Samadan put the Redhawks back on top, and Seattle U would clinch the third set on a block by Mamic.
After the two teams exchanged the first 11 points of the fourth set, UMKC once again pulled ahead thanks to four unanswered points, capped by a kill from Kerns. The Kangaroos would use a 6-1 scoring run to extend their advantage to 17-10, and then they closed out the set with another 6-1 scoring run, punctuated by two kills from Mosier and a block by Skyler Muff and Jessica Hendin.
Seattle University (9-5, 1-0 WAC) heads to Chicago for the second conference match of the weekend, facing the Chicago State Cougars Saturday, Sept. 26, starting at 12 noon local time (10 a.m. Pacific time). The Redhawks finally play their first home matches of the season next week, hosting Grand Canyon Thursday, Oct. 1, and CSU Bakersfield Saturday, Oct. 3, at their temporary home at Seattle Academy.