SEATTLE - Seattle University volleyball (6-8, 0-3 WCC) takes a trip down the highway to visit I-5 rival Portland (7-6, 2-0 WCC) on Saturday afternoon at 1 PM at the Chiles Center following its lone home contest through the first two weeks of West Coast Conference competition this past Thursday.
The Redhawks celebrated a record breaking home crowd against Washington State on Thursday night, claiming a set off the Cougars in their WCC home debut in front of 696 fans.
Sophomore Madyn Cervellera moved into third in the WCC while leading the Redhawks with 194 kills on the season. Her 3.40 kills per set paces the team while ranking fifth in the league. On Thursday night, she pushed her double digit kill streak to 11 straight matches after leading the Redhawks with 11 kills against the Cougars. In seven of her last nine matches, the outside hitter has posted a double-double in digs and kills, finishing two shy on Thursday night of her eighth this season.
Also ranking amongst the top of the conference is freshman Petra Fritz. Her .44 aces per set ranks tied second in the WCC while her 21 aces on the season ranks tied third. Fellow freshman Katelynn Albano also cracked the top-15 in aces, ranking tied-12th with 17.
Two Redhawks rank amongst the top-15 in the league in blocks, with junior Taniyah Pruitt leading the duo with 1.10 blocks per set. Redshirt junior Yasemin Elmas in 54 sets of action sits right outside the top-10 at 11, averaging .98 blocks per set. The duo sit fifth and sixth respectively in total blocks, while Elmas sits just behind Pruitt with 53.0 blocks.
Albano also plays a pivotal role in defensive coverage, leading the team with 2.79 digs per set, which ranks 11th in the conference. Her 159 digs paces the team while also ranking 8th in the WCC.
All three SU setters rank amongst the top-20 in the league, with sophomore Grace Jones leading the trio averaging 4.73 assists per set. She ranks 14th in the conference with 213 assists through 45 sets of action, while fellow sophomore Anae Asuncion sits 15th in the WCC with 211 assists. Redshirt junior Elif Teksoy rounds out the group averaging 3.67 assists per set in 18 sets this season.
Saturday’s meeting will be the 11th matchup against the Pilots dating back to the first Division I season in 2008. The Redhawks trail the all-time series 7-3 with all three wins coming at home. SU goes for its first win against Portland since the 2016 season and first road win of the year.
The Pilots come off a bye after starting off the conference slate 2-0 with victories over Pacific and Saint Mary’s. The Redhawks will be the third contest in a three match homestand for Portland.
Following the weekend, the Redhawks head back out on the road for an inter-state contest against Gonzaga. They return home to the Redhawk Center on October 16 for a rematch with Pepperdine.
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