SEATTLE - After ten matches between their first conference meeting of the season, Seattle University volleyball hosted Portland eyeing a rematch, but the Pilots snuffed out the Redhawks’ plan, defeating Seattle U 3-0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-17) at the Redhawk Center on Thursday night.
Sophomore Madyn Cervellera recorded her sixth match in a row with double-digit kills, leading the Redhawks with ten on the night. The outside added six digs and an assist.
Freshman Petra Fritz posted nine kills coming off her WCC Freshman of the Week outing last weekend. She tallied a block and three digs while extending her match streak with at least one ace to eight straight.
Senior Marley Hardgrave added six kills hitting .364 on 11 attempts with two errors. She led the defense with 2.0 blocks.
Guiding the Redhawk offense was redshirt junior Elif Teksoy, who combined for 26 assists. The setter also tacked on four digs.
Together, the Redhawks combined for 32 kills, 30 assists, three aces, 26 digs and 3.0 blocks.
Thursday’s match opened in a back and forth with the Redhawks overcoming a small deficit behind a 3-0 run to tie the set 6-6. The Pilots pushed back to lead by three once again until the first timeout. Coming out of the break, Seattle U soon found itself trailing 19-14, forcing the Redhawks to take a timeout. Facing set point, 24-15, Fritz guided SU on to another 3-0 run, picking up a kill and an ace, but the Pilots would take the first set 25-18.
The Redhawks quickly jumped out in the start of the second set, leading the Pilots 4-0. After Portland pulled the set back within one, 7-6, Seattle U once again turned to Fritz for another 3-0 stint. She picked up two kills to push the Redhawks back up 10-6. A 5-1 run from the Pilots leveled the set 11-11, but the Redhawks would lead 15-13 into the media timeout with kills from Cervellera and Hardgrave.
Portland would steal the lead back behind a 6-0 swing to lead the Redhawks 18-16 late. Trailing 23-21, Hardgrave aided the late set tie with her block and a kill, but the Pilots would down the Redhawks 25-23 to take the 2-0 set lead.
The Pilots carried their momentum into the third set, but the Redhawks kept pace early on, always keeping within a score. Portland broke free from the looming presence of the Redhawks to lead 15-10 in the middle of the set. The Pilots led SU by eight until they forced set point. Seattle U rallied to avoid the end of the match with a kill from Fritz and a block from Hardgrave, but the Pilots defeated the Redhawks 25-17 in the third to take the series.
The Redhawks remain within the state of Washington to conclude the weekend, traveling to Pullman for their second meeting of the season against Washington State on Saturday afternoon.
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