SEATTLE — Seattle U volleyball returned to action on Monday in winning fashion as the Redhawks swept conference newcomer Dixie State in three sets (25-23, 25-22, 25-17). The victory was the first in the Michelle Cole era as the team handed the first-year head coach with quite a birthday present.
Collectively, the Redhawk attack registered season-highs as they finished with 45 kills on .225 hitting. The defense meanwhile notched eight blocks and 41 digs as they held Dixie State to a season-low 26 kills.
Julia Queiroz and Eve Kerschenbaum were tied with a match-best 10 kills. Kerschenbaum hit .304 and had three errors on 23 swings, while Queiroz swung at a .263-clip with five errors and 19 attempts. Sophia Bertotti Metoyer and Ezgi Ozkan chipped with seven each.
Ozkan also finished 30 assists, five digs and two blocks. Johnasia Carr had a match-high four blocks, with Bertotti Metoyer following with three. Tijana Milojevic anchored the back line with 21 digs, as she tied a career-high with nine assists.
After battling through four ties in set one, the Redhawks broke loose behind a 6-1 run to claim a 13-8 lead. Queiroz fueled the rally as the junior landed three kills and a block assist. Seattle U then used a 3-0 spurt to push its margin to six, as Milojevic sipped in an ace to make it 16-10. From their the Redhawks maintained a five to six-point cushion as they entered the stretch. Following a late Kerschenbaum kill to make it 24-19, Dixie State rallied behind a 4-0 run to pull within one. The Redhawks escaped with the point though thanks to a Dixie State attack error.
Tied 5-5 in the second, the Trailblazers sprinted to a 13-7 lead midway through. A trio of Dixie State errors were then part of a Redhawks 4-0 spurt, closing the gap to two. Seattle U however were unable to over the margin entering the stretch. Trailing 19-14, Queiroz buried a swing that sparked a 4-1 run that helped the Redhawks pull within two, 20-18. Down 22-18, Seattle U rallied to score seven unanswered points to grab the set point and 2-0 lead. Ozkan ignited the late run with a kill, before Sofia Sanchez and Bertotti Metoyer recorded back-to-back block assist. Kills by Sanchez then tied the set at 22, before striking again to establish set point. Kylie Waters meanwhile notched an ace at 23-22 and again to complete the rally.
In the third, Seattle U never trailed, using an 8-1 run to jump out to an 11-4 lead. Bertotti Metoyer and Kereschenbaum then added back-to-back kills midway through to push the Redhawk advantage, 18-9. The Trailblazers though did not go away quietly as the responded with a 5-2 rally to trim the margin to five. The Dixie State rally though loss momentum as it scored just twice more as Seattle U used kills from Carr, Queiroz and Bertotti Metoyer as well as a second ace from Milojevic to win the frame, 25-17 and complete the sweep.
Seattle U will conclude the two-match series with Dixie State on Tuesday. First serve is set for 2 pm PT and will be streamed on ESPN+.