SEATTLE - Seattle University volleyball team’s (7-16, 1-11 WCC) 3-1 (26-24, 24-26, 26-24, 25-21) victory over San Francisco (3-20, 1-12 WCC) was record-breaking, record-tying and career-making all in one four set match at the Redhawk Center on Saturday afternoon.
In front of an enthusiastic crowd and an abundance of Redhawk volleyball alumni, Seattle U captured its first ever win in West Coast Conference play while securing the program’s second ever victory over the Dons, the first since 2019.
Freshman Petra Fritz tied a program record third highest kills in a four set match with her first 20+ kill performance of her collegiate career. The outside hitter grabbed 23 kills on the night, while locking up her second double-double in digs and kills with 17 digs on the night. The mark was a new season high.
Fritz has ranked amongst the top in the league with her serve all season and continued to provide ample opportunities from the service line in Saturday’s win. She matched her season high with five aces.
In addition to Fritz, two other Redhawks registered double-digit kills. Senior Marley Hardgrave posted a staggering .812 hitting percentage with a new career high 13 kills on 16 attempts with no errors. SU’s kills leader Madyn Cervellera extended her current active double digit kill streak to four straight matches, tacking on 13 kills of her own. Cervellera also grabbed her 11th double-double of the season, posting 13 digs to match her 13 kills.
Hardgrave paced the defense with her block, combining for 8.0 total on the afternoon, a new season high. Junior Teagan Melton matched her career high with 5.0 total blocks while adding seven kills.
Guiding the Redhawk offense was redshirt junior Elif Teksoy, whose new career high 55 assists now ranks second all-time in the Division I era in assists in a four set match. The mark ranks one shy of tying 10th all time in any match since 2008. She also matched her season high in blocks with two. The setter finished the day with two kills on a .500 hitting percentage on four attempts.
Along with Fritz, three more Redhawks grabbed multiple aces, with Teksoy, redshirt junior Yasemin Elmas and freshman Katelynn Albano each recording two on the day.
The Redhawks combined for 64 kills, 60 assists, 13 aces, 49 digs and 10.0 blocks against the Dons. Their 64 digs was four shy of tying sixth all time in the DI era in any match, while tying fourth all-time in kills in a four set match. The last SU team to do so was in 2016 against UMKC.
Seattle U also tied fourth all time in assists in a four set match with 60, tying that same 2016 UMKC match. The Redhawks’ 13 aces ties third all time for any team in a match in the Division I era. The last to do so was the 2018 team.
A tightly contested first set saw five ties through the opener until the Redhawks surged with a 6-0 run with Elmas leading from the service line. Cervellera capped the run with back-to-back kills. Another small run pushed the Redhawks up 17-9 after a block from Melton and Hardgrave.
The Dons swung back in response with a 7-1 run to pull within a score 19-18. SU went back up by three with a kill from Fritz before USF tied the set 23-all. Fritz struck back with a kill to force set point but the Dons would tie it up with a kill. Melton forced the second set point of the first before Melton and Hardgrave teamed up once more to grab the first set 26-24 with their block.
San Francisco flipped the script in the second set, building up an early lead 7-2. The Redhawks pulled back within two after a kill from Hardgrave and a Dons error, but a late 5-2 run favored the Dons, as they led 20-15. Seattle U crafted a run of their own kicked off by a block from Elmas and Cervellera and capped by two aces from Albano and a kill from Fritz. The effort tied the set 22-22. After battling back from an early deficit, the Redhawks looked poised to strike in set two, but the Dons spoiled the Redhawks as they shut down SU behind a 3-0 run to win set two 26-24.
Set three mimicked the first with early one point lead exchanges and ties until the pair exchanged 3-0 runs. After trailing 13-11 the Redhawks drafted a 4-0 run to reclaim the lead by two kills from Fritz and an ace from Cervellera. The Dons responded with a late run of their own to take back the set lead 19-18 before the Redhawks came back with the one point lead off a kill and ace from Fritz. A 5-2 run in favor of the Redhawks closed the third set, with Fritz and Elmas shutting down the Dons at the net with a block 26-24.
Seattle U took a page from USF’s book and immediately leapt out to a 5-1 lead after opening the fourth set with back to back aces from Fritz. Fritz would strike again with her ace to put the Redhawks up six, 13-7 before Hardgrave signed a 4-0 run with a block and kill. Leading 17-8, the Redhawks shut down the Dons' attempt to chip at the lead with a kill from Hardgrave and an ace from Teksoy. San Francisco would not go quietly as they pulled back within two before Hardgrave put the Redhawks within five points of their first WCC win.
Back-to-back kills from Fritz pushed Seattle U up 23-20 forcing the Dons to take a time out. After the break, San Francisco would score one final time before Fritz forced match point with her 23rd kill. Leading 24-21, the Redhawks turned to their kills leader Cervellera, who delivered the finishing blow 25-21 to lift Seattle U to its first West Coast Conference win.
The Redhawks return to the Redhawk Center on Thursday evening to host I-5 rival Portland in a rematch from earlier this season.
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