SEATTLE - Seattle University volleyball (3-1) traded blows with Cal State Fullerton (2-2) before running away with the match 3-2 (25-14, 24-26, 25-19, 23-25, 15-5) in its opening contest of the Courtyard by Marriott Seattle U Invitational at the Redhawk Center on Thursday night. Behind their first home match win of the season, the Redhawks moved to 3-1 on the season, their best start since 2019.
Redshirt sophomore Teagan Melton tallied a new career high 13 kills to pace the Redhawk offense with a .417 hitting percentage. She also went for a new career best in digs, collecting six in five sets of action. Sophomore Madyn Cervellera was three kills shy of her career high, logging 17 on the night. The outside hitter tied her career best in aces, accounting for two of the nine captured by the Redhawks.
Freshman Petra Fritz paced all Redhawks with four aces, while finishing one kill shy of a double-double in digs and kills, grabbing nine kills and 11 digs in five sets. Redshirt junior Yasemin Elmas matched Fritz with nine kills, accruing a .381 hitting percentage in the match.
Three Redhawks went for double-digit assists with sophomore Grace Jones leading the trio with a new career high 25 assists. Fellow sophomore Anae Asuncion followed suit with 22. The pair combined for 16 digs on the night. Freshman Katelynn Albano grabbed her first collegiate double-double in digs and assists, recording 15 digs and 10 assists. She also tacked on two aces, one of which set up the Redhawks with match point.
On the defensive side, Elmas paced the team with three solo blocks, which tied third all-time in a single match in the Divison I era. The last to do so was senior Marley Hardgrave in 2023. Leading the team in total blocks was junior Taniyah Pruitt with 7.0 on the night. She went for her fourth straight match with at least one solo block.
As a unit, the Redhawk combined for 63 kills, five shy of tying fifth all-time in the DI era for a match, while putting up 61 assists, 58 digs, nine aces and 11.0 total blocks. They held the Titans to a .110 hitting percentage, allowing 43 kills.
Seattle U opened with a fiery offense, bouncing back after dropping its last match against Air Force. The Redhawks hit .429 for 12 kills to take the early set lead. Fritz started off the match with her first ace of the evening, spurring on the Redhawks to a 6-1 opening set run. The Titans attempted to chip at the lead before a block by Elmas forced a timeout after SU’s lead extended by seven, 12-5. A kill followed by a block assist from Pruitt and Hardgrave built the lead to 20-11 before Fritz set up set point with a kill. Trading service errors, the Redhawks clinched set one 25-14.
Seattle U’s offense cooled slightly in the second set, despite recording 16 kills. The Redhawks hit .312 but errors kept the Titans in set two. Despite holding a lead early, the Titans were able to switch the tide behind a 7-2 run in the middle of the set. The Redhawks would reclaim the lead with a run of their own, kickstarted by Melton. CSU Fullerton leveled the match at 21-all forcing a back and forth before a 5-1 run at the end of the second set evened the match 1-set all.
The Redhawk defense went on the counter in the third set, grabbing four blocks and limiting the Titans to eight kills. The SU offense put up an additional 12 kills and two aces. Errors impacted both sides before Seattle U was able to build up a five point lead midway through the set. Hardgrave, Pruitt and Cervellera went for back-to-back blocks to push the lead to seven before a kill from Cervellera forced set point. Melton iced the set 25-19 with a kill.
Another tightly contested set spelled double-digit kills for the Redhawks but CSU Fullerton would battle back to force a fifth set. The Titans leapt out to a 12-5 lead before the Redhawks called timeout. An ace from Fritz pulled the Redhawks within five before the Titans pushed the lead back up to seven, 22-15. An 8-3 run put SU down 24-23 after facing set point four times before a block by the Titans evened the match 2-2.
The Redhawks offense soared in the final set, jumping out 6-1 behind four kills and an ace. CSU Fullerton called timeout before they were forced to call a second after a 4-1 run by Seattle U pushed the lead 10-2. The Redhawks would outscore the Titans 5-3 in the final set, with Elmas slamming in the final kill of the evening for Seattle U’s third win of the season.
Seattle U moves to 2-1 all-time against CSU Fullerton, capturing the first home win against the Titans since the series began in 2009.
The Redhawks return tomorrow for day two of the Courtyard by Marriott Seattle U Invitational to take on Idaho at 4 PM before concluding the event on Saturday afternoon against Manhattan.
Tickets are available for the final two sessions at goseattleu.com.tix.
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