PORTLAND - Seattle University volleyball’s (6-9, 0-4 WCC) pursuit of its first conference win and first road win of the 2025 season was disrupted by Portland (8-6, 3-0 WCC) 3-0 (19-25, 17-25, 17-25) on Saturday afternoon at the Chiles Center.
Redshirt junior Yasemin Elmas paced the team with a .857 hitting percentage, tallying six kills on seven attempts for no errors. The middle blocker also grabbed a solo block. Sophomore Madyn Cervellera led the Redhawks in kills with her 12th double-digit kill effort of the season, recording 10 against the Pilots. The outside hitter also grabbed an ace and four digs.
Juniors Teagan Melton and Adee Butler combined for nine kills, while Butler collected two digs and Melton picked up 2.0 blocks.
Redshirt junior Elif Teksoy guided the offense with 14 assists while adding a block and five digs on the defensive end. Sophomore Grace Jones and freshman Katelynn Albano added an additional 10 assists, while Albano led all Redhawks with seven digs.
The freshmen ace leaders, Albano and Petra Fritz, each recorded two aces on the afternoon to lead all Redhawks.
Seattle U recorded 28 kills, five aces, four blocks, 28 assists and 28 digs, leading the Pilots in blocks by three.
Portland opened the match on a 4-1 run before Cervellera and Melton teamed up with back-to-back kills to pull within one. Another kill from Melton would level the set early 5-5. The Pilots and Redhawks would trade five ties before Portland built up its lead behind a 6-0 run. A kill from Cervellera halted the Pilot surge, before Butler connected for a point to pull the Redhawks back within four 22-18. Portland would claim the first set behind a 3-1 run.
In the second set, the two programs entered an early back and forth once again before Portland took over with more running bursts, leading by as many as eight. SU responded with a 5-1 run to pull back within four 19-15 after an ace from Fritz but the Pilots would allow only one kill through the remainder of the second set, clinching the 2-0 match lead behind a 25-17 set victory.
Looking to avoid the sweep, the Redhawks took control of the third set early, leading 7-4 aided by back-to-back kills from Cervellera. The Pilots responded with a 9-1 swing to reclaim the lead 13-8. A kill then an ace from Cervellera pulled the Redhawks within three but the Pilots would respond with another flurry of scoring to push their lead back to six. Trailing by as many as nine, the Redhawks dug in deep to keep the match alive with kills from Cervellera but the effort would fall short as the Pilots claimed the match in the third set with a 25-17 set win.
Seattle U will remain out on the road, traveling to Spokane for a meeting with Gonzaga on October 11 before returning home to host Pepperdine on October 16 at the Redhawk Center.
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