Seattle University forced the University of Portland into several mistakes late in Friday’s match, and the Redhawks settled down as the contest went on, coming from behind for a 3-2 victory (25-19, 14-25, 20-25, 28-26, 15-10) over the Pilots in the 2015 finale for both volleyball teams at the Seattle Academy Gymnasium.
Kills by Jelena Vujcin (Becej, Serbia) and Kerry Lane (Tucson, Ariz.) allowed the Redhawks to score the first three points of the fourth set, with a kill by Maja Stojanovic (Cacak, Serbia) later in the set extending the Seattle U lead to 9-5. Portland would respond with an 8-1 scoring run, led by Katie Sullivan with two block assists and a kill, to pull ahead 13-10.
The Redhawks scored the next four points, featuring consecutive blocks by the tandem of Martina Samadan (Split, Croatia) and Shae Harris (Vancouver, B.C.), and then another kill by Stojanovic put Seattle U on top 19-17. The Pilots would go on a 6-1 scoring run, with Sullivan picking up another kill and block assist, to retake the lead at 23-20.
A kill by Mila Duarte (Lima, Peru), a Samadan solo block, and a service ace from Iris Ivanis (Pozega, Croatia) set up Seattle U’s first attempt at tying the match, but a kill by Hannah Troutman and a block by Sullivan and Emily Liger gave the Pilots an opportunity to close out the match. After a Pilot service error, a kill by Liger brought about a second match point, but the Redhawks fought back thanks to Samadan, who earned a kill and two block assists to close out the fourth set and extend the contest.
Three kills by Samadan and two kills from Vujcin helped Seattle U open a 7-1 lead in the fifth set, forcing Portland to take both of its timeouts. The two teams traded points the rest of the way, with Samadan clinching the match for the Redhawks with a kill.
Samadan closed out her collegiate career by leading the Redhawks with 19 kills and seven total blocks, plus she posted a .586 hitting percentage to clinch Seattle U’s single-season (.454) and career (.412) hitting percentage records. Matea Mamic (Split, Croatia) notched a double-double with 13 kills and 13 digs, while Vujcin and Duarte collected nine kills apiece.
Lane was the setter through the first four sets, earning 33 assists, five kills, and five digs, before turning the offense over to Harris, who ended up with 12 assists, six digs, three kills, and three block assists over the final two sets. Ivanis led everyone with 18 defensive digs, with Mary Orbeta (Alameda, Calif.) contributing nine digs off the bench for the Redhawks.
“It’s always great to finish the season with a win. I am happy for Martina’s effort, we received contributions from both setters, and several players helped us defensively,” Seattle U head coach James Finley said. “In clutch time, we had some great performances. It took us a while to figure out what they (Portland) were doing offensively, but I am pleased that we were able to push through and close out tonight’s match.”
Seattle U opened the match on a 10-2 scoring run, with Lane picking up three kills right away. Back-to-back service aces by Monica Gajda and a kill from Sarah Savoca helped the Pilots close their deficit to four at 17-13, but the Redhawks responded with a 5-1 scoring run, and then Duarte clinched the first set with a kill.
Portland (16-15) took the lead in the second set on a block by Sullivan and Makayla Lindburg and a kill from Troutman, and then the Pilots went on an 11-1 scoring run, led by Liger with six kills, to extend their lead to 19-8. Another service ace by Gajda and a kill by Troutman brought about set point, and Portland was able to tie the match on a Redhawk error.
Three kills and a service ace by Liger as well as two blocks by the duo of Sullivan and Lindburg gave the Pilots an 11-7 lead in the third set. Portland would extend that lead thanks to a 6-1 scoring run, and eventually another error by the Redhawks allowed the Pilots to clinch the third set and take a 2-1 match lead.
Liger led everyone with 25 kills, while Troutman notched a double-double with 12 kills and 15 digs and Savoca contributed 10 kills. Lindburg also earned a double-double with 45 assists and 12 digs, plus she collected eight block assists and three service aces, as did Gajda to go along with a team-high 17 digs. Sullivan finished with seven kills and 11 block assists, and Mikaela Nocetti added 11 digs to the Pilot effort.
Seattle University finished the 2015 season with an 18-11 overall record, tied for the second-most victories in a single season in program history. Although the squad will lose multiple school record holder Samadan, everyone else on the active roster is eligible to return for the 2016 season, when the Redhawks will return to the refurbished Connolly Complex North Court.