POCATELLO, Idaho – Seattle University volleyball gave new Head Coach Dan Behnke a proper opener in his Redhawk debut, earning a thrilling 26-24, 14-25, 26-24, 24-26, 15-8 victory over CSUN in the opening match of the Idaho State Tournament Friday evening.
Junior outside hitter Merima Smajlovic tallied an 18-kill, 16-dig double-double, senior outside hitter Arianna Bilby added 13 kills and 11 digs and redshirt sophomore Yasemin Elmas came up one block shy of a double-double, finishing with 10 kills and nine blocks in the win.
"I'm super proud of our resilience in this match," said Behnke. "Our returners stepped up in some big moments and a few of our newcomers made a significant impact as well. We look forward to building on this momentum tomorrow."
A tight first set saw neither team lead by more than three. The Redhawks would close out the set with four straight points, including a Smajlovic kill, a Matador attack error and a pair of Elmas and Elif Teksoy blocks.
A Seattle U lull in the second set allowed for CSUN to even the score, 1-1. The Matador momentum lingered into the third set as the Redhawks found themselves trailing by as many as eight points, 21-13. But with Smajlovic back to serve, the Redhawks rolled off eight straight points to tie the score. Back-to-back kills by Billy and Smajlovic closed out the set and the Redhawks took a 2-1 advantage.
CSUN would snatch a 26-24 win in the fourth set before solid all-around play in the fifth saw the Redhawks go ahead 9-4 before finishing off their opponent with an emphatic kill from Tatum Chase.
Smajlovic added a career-high five aces and a pair of blocks to go with her double-double. Elmas collected her 10 kills on just 17 swings and one error, hitting at a .529 clip. Teksoy dished 44 assists and added seven blocks, seven digs and three aces. Katlyn Sipes paced the defense with 22 digs.
The Redhawks continue play at Reed Gym on Saturday, facing host Idaho State at 4 p.m. Mountain Time, 3 p.m. Pacific. The match will air live on ESPN+.
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