OREM, Utah — An inconsistent attack hindered Seattle U volleyball (0-2, 0-2 WAC) on Tuesday, as the Redhawks fell short in the series closer, dropping a 3-1 decision on the road to Utah Valley (2-0, 2-0 WAC).
The Redhawks were held to sub-.100 hitting in the first and third, before tallying a .242-clip in the fourth en route to finishing the match with a .179 mark. Seattle U also recorded 43 kills, while Utah Valley had 57 kills behind a .237-clip. The Wolverines also held advantages in service aces, 11-5, and blocks, 11-10.
Sofia Sanchez led the Seattle U attack with a match-high 13 kills and hit a team-best .440 with two errors on 25 swings. Eve Kerschenbaum chipped in with 11 kills, while Julia Queiroz had nine. Ezgi Ozkan also tallied a match-high as she dished out 35 assists.
Tijana Milojevic led all players with 10 digs, as the duo of Johnasia Carr and Lauren McCabe finished with five blocks each.
Kendra Nock led Utah Valley with 13 kills and five blocks.
Errors put Seattle U in a hole early as it trailed by as much as six during the first set. Down 15-9, the Redhawks sliced into the deficit with a 3-0 run, sparked by a kill from Kerschenbaum. Utah Valley however regained a five-point advantage pushing the score to 18-13. Seattle U then responded with a 5-1 rally, this time cutting the margin to one, 19-18, as McCabe, Ozkan and Kerschenbaum each registered block assists. The Redhawks leveled the score late, 21-21, with another kill from Kerschenbaum but were unable to maintain momentum as the Wolverines escaped with the opening stanza behind a 4-0 run.
Behind a match-best .346 hitting, the Redhawks found their rhythm in the second, winning the frame with a 25-21 decision. Seattle U built a 7-3 advantage early thanks in part to a bevy of Wolverine errors. Kills from Sanchez, Queiroz and Kerschenbaum then helped Seattle U to 13-9 cushion midway through. SU then tacked on three-straight to push the score to 16-10. The Redhawks continued to surge as back-to-back kills from Queiroz made it 21-13 before Sanchez's attempt stretched the Redhawk advantage to 10. A late push from Utah Valley saw the SU advantage get chopped down to three, behind an 8-1 rally. The pushback however was not enough as Sanchez tallied the final point, tying the match at 1-1.
Utah Valley took quick control of the third as it sprinted out to a 10-2 advantage and forcing a timeout from the Seattle U bench. The Redhawks then stormed back scoring seven unanswered to pull within one, 10-9. Sanchez fueled the rally with a trio of kills. The Wolverines then strung together a long 9-3 run to take a commanding 20-12 lead. Queiroz and Kerschenbaum added to the Redhawk cause late but it was not enough as they dropped the set, 25-16.
Playing from behind early in the fourth, the Redhawks forced ties at 10-10 and 12-12 before a 4-1 spurt gave Seattle U a narrow 16-15 lead. Utah Valley then scored three-straight to bump out to a 18-16 margin. Back-and-forth action then saw kills from Sanchez to help the Redhawks pull even at 18 and 19, before Ozkan dumped a ball to push the score to 20-all. Down the stretch, the sides traded 2-0 spurts to make it 22-22. Kerschenbaum powered an attempt through late but the effort fell short as UVU took the decision point with a 25-23 decision.
The Redhawks are set to return to action on Monday, Feb. 8 when the series opener with Division I newcomer Tarleton. First serve is slated for 6 pm PT.