WINNING TIME: After finishing the most successful conference season in the James Finley coaching era in terms of winning percentage, as well as clinching its first overall winning record since 2010, Seattle University heads to Kansas City, Mo., for the 2015 Western Athletic Conference Tournament. With three victories in three days, the Redhawks can earn their first-ever berth into the NCAA Division I Volleyball Tournament. The road will not be easy for Seattle U, starting with the first round matchup against host school Missouri-Kansas City. A Redhawk win advances Seattle U into the semifinals against regular season champion New Mexico State, currently on a 16-match winning streak. The other side of the bracket features defending tournament champion CSU Bakersfield, as well as Utah Valley and UT Rio Grande Valley. All matches in the WAC Volleyball Tournament will be carried by the WAC Digital Network (www.wacsports.com/live).
SCOUTING MISSOURI-KANSAS CITY: The Kangaroos enter the tournament with a 14-12 overall record after winning three of its final four matches. UMKC finished fifth in the WAC standings with a 7-7 conference mark. Missouri-Kansas City does have an 8-3 record at home as it prepares to host this year’s conference tournament, but all three losses came against WAC schools. As a team, the ‘Roos are hitting .228 and averaging 13.35 kills, 1.24 service aces, 16.32 digs, and 2.46 blocks per set. Jessica Hendin leads the team with 278 kills and 24 service aces, while Sydney Crimmins is second on the squad in kills (267), digs (252), and total blocks (80). The setting duties have been split between Kaylyn Brandt (6.28 assists per set) and Nicole Wemhoff (4.73 assists per set). Defensively, Skyler Muff leads the team at the net with 120 total blocks, and Taryn Miller is by far the conference leader in digs with 495.
EARLIER THIS SEASON: Seattle U swept the season series from Missouri-Kansas City, starting with a five-set victory in Kansas City Sept. 24 (19-25, 27-25, 27-25, 17-25, 15-9). Jelena Vujcin led the Redhawks offensively with 18 kills and a .484 hitting percentage, while Matea Mamic notched a double-double with 16 kills and 11 digs. Kerry Lane dished out a season-high 56 assists in the match, and Kirstin Schauble led the Redhawk defense with 16 digs. Four UMKC players earned at least 13 kills apiece, led by Madison Mosier with 16 kills. In the rematch in Seattle Oct. 24, the Redhawks defeated the Kangaroos in four sets (25-23, 18-25, 25-19, 25-18). Martina Samadan led the way with 17 kills, a .556 hitting percentage, four service aces, and six total blocks, while Lane notched a double-double with 44 assists and 12 digs. Mosier led UMKC with 11 kills, but she was the only Kangaroo to reach double figures in kills.