STOCKTON, Calif. - Seattle University (6-16, 0-11 WCC) volleyball fought a tough battle in a back and forth with Pacific, but the Tigers (8-15, 2-10 WCC) would get past the Redhawks 3-0 (16-25, 20-25, 24-26) at the Alex G. Spanos Center on Thursday evening.
Sophomore Madyn Cervellera paced the Redhawk offense with 10 kills, her fourth straight match with double-digit kills. Cervellera’s two aces on the evening guided SU from the service line, while finishing one shy of tying her career high. The outside hitter also put the Redhawks on the defensive with seven digs.
Redshirt junior Elif Teksoy orchestrated the offense, leading both teams with 23 assists. The setter also tied her season high in kills, collecting three on the night, while leading the charge up front, tallying 3.0 blocks, including one solo block. Junior Teagan Melton and redshirt junior Yasemin Elmas also contributed 3.0 blocks a piece. Between Melton and Elmas, the pair combined for seven kills.
Freshman Petra Fritz went for five kills and an ace, posting her fifth straight match with at least one ace. Fellow freshman Tiana Mariner grabbed a new season high eight digs to lead all Redhawks on the night.
Together, the Redhawks tallied 30 kills, 39 digs, 7.0 blocks, 24 assists and three aces. They paced the Tigers in blocks by one.
Seattle U opened the match keeping pace with the Tigers, maintaining at least a point differential before the Tigers crafted a small run to lead 7-3 in the first set. Senior Marley Hardgrave pivoted the Redhawks on a 3-0 run of their own to pull back within a score before the Tigers surged ahead 15-9 heading into the media timeout. Out of the break, Seattle U scored three off two Tiger errors and a kill from Cervellera, but Pacific carried on its offensive attack to lock down set one 25-16.
The pair mimicked the first set in the second, matching one another point for point before the Redhawks found themselves in a three point deficit. Melton catalogued a kill to put SU on a 4-0 run to swing the lead back in favor of the Redhawks until Pacific hit back with a 5-1 run to lead 13-10.
After trailing into the media timeout, Cervellera kick started a 3-0 run with a kill while tallying an ace. Hardgrave and Melton capped the small surge with a block to tie the set 15-all. The Redhawks and Tigers would exchange two more ties until a 6-0 run by Pacific forced set point. Cervellera and Elmas avoided the end of set two with back-to-back kills before the Tigers claimed the two set lead 25-20.
Looking to avoid the sweep, the Redhawks struck first in set three before a tug-of-war ensued. The pair exchanged eight ties through the first half of the set. The Redhawks broke through first with a 3-0 run to lead 15-12 off kills from Melton and Teksoy. Leading 17-14, the Tigers pushed back at the Redhawks, taking advantage of SU miscues to tie the third set 17-17.
Elmas vaulted Seattle U back up ahead 21-18 with her block with assistance from Melton before the Tigers came back within a score. A tightly contested late third set looked to be anyone’s for the taking with Cervellera claiming set point for the Redhawks, but the effort would come just shy of forcing a fourth set as the Tigers responded with three straight scores to defeat Seattle U 3-0.
The Redhawks conclude the weekend at home, kicking off Homecoming weekend with their Alumni Day celebration against San Francisco at 1 PM at the Redhawk Center.
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