SEATTLE – Seattle University volleyball travels for a battle in Moraga, California in hot pursuit of its first conference victory of the season. The Redhawks (6-12, 0-7 WCC) take on the Gaels (5-13, 3-4 WCC) at 6:30 PM on Thursday night at UCU Pavilion for their fifth road contest in eight matches, eyeing their first road win of 2025.
Sophomore Madyn Cervellera has been a crucial pillar of the Redhawk offense in her first season in Seattle. The Lake Stevens native paces the team with 232 kills with appearances in all 72 sets of action, averaging 3.22 kills per set. Cervellera’s mark of 232 kills ranks fifth in the West Coast Conference.
Bolstering the offense is junior Teagan Melton. The opposite has posted 137 kills this season to rank second on the team. Redshirt junior Yasemin Elmas surpassed 100 kills after last week, ranking third on the team with 106.
A trio of Redhawks pave the way for the SU offense. Sophomore Grace Jones leads the group with 239 assists, ranking top-15 in the conference. Fellow sophomore Anae Asuncion and redshirt junior Elif Teksoy both rank amongst the top-20 in the WCC with Asuncion sitting at 216 assists across 55 sets. Teksoy has posted 146 assists in 32 sets.
Leading from the service line is freshman Petra Fritz, whose .48 aces per set ranks second in the WCC. The mark also ranks tied-29th in the nation. The outside hitter has 29 aces this season, which is also second in the league.
On the defensive side, Elmas leads all SU middle blockers with 59.0 blocks, which ranks ninth in the conference. Freshman Katelynn Albano patrols the floor, pacing the team with 199 digs. Her 2.76 digs per set ranks 11th in the WCC. Cervellera also ranks in the top-15 in digs alongside Albano, collecting 163 so far this season.
The Redhawks rank in the top-half of the conference in both blocks and aces, ranking fourth in aces with 113 through 18 matches this season. Their 144.0 blocks are fifth in the league.
Thursday’s contest is the fourth ever meeting between Saint Mary’s and Seattle U. All three previous contests were all hosted by the Gaels in Moraga, the most recent in the 2024 season. Saint Mary’s leads SU 3-0 in the all-time records dating back to the Redhawks’ return to Division I in 2008. The Redhawks go for their first ever win against the Gaels.
After dropping their first four contests in WCC play, the Gaels have enjoyed a three match winning streak, recently defeating Gonzaga, Santa Clara and Pacific. Two of the three victories came on the road. They are 1-2 at home since conference play began.
Seattle U concludes the weekend at home, returning to Seattle to host Santa Clara for its Dig Pink match on Saturday at 1 PM.
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