STOCKTON, Calif. - Seattle University volleyball (4-11, 1-4 WCC) vaulted into the win column to grab its first West Coast Conference victory of 2026, securing its first program victory over Pacific (4-14, 0-6 WCC), 3-1 (21-25, 25-13, 25-23, 25-18), in the process inside the Alex G. Spanos Center on Saturday afternoon.
Senior Teagan Melton led the Redhawks in the win, recording 13 kills hitting .385 on 26 attempts with three errors. Freshman Orinayo Olukanmi aided in the effort, logging eight kills, while contributing 4.0 blocks and three digs. Melton put up five digs, and two blocks, including one solo.
Setters Grace Jones and Bella Jones each went for 19 assists in the win, while both holding control of the offense from the service line. Grace Jones led the way with four aces, one shy of her career high, while Bella Jones posted her career best three aces. Grace finished one dig shy of a double-double, recording nine digs.
Pacing the defense was freshman Janae Demant, who recorded 13 digs. The libero also logged two aces and four assists. Guiding the team’s block was junior Hailey McEllrath, who grabbed 6.0 total blocks, including one solo. Sophomore Lexi Jones added 5.0 blocks while adding nine kills on 14 attempts for no errors, hitting .643 in the match.
The Redhawks combined for 47 kills, 43 assists, 11 aces, 12.0 blocks and 53 digs, pacing the Tigers in all five categories. Seattle U limited Pacific to a .145 hitting percentage, while out pacing the Tigers 12.0 blocks to 4.0 blocks. The win was Seattle U’s first ever win over the Tigers and first road victory in WCC play since becoming a member in 2025.
Saturday’s match opened in a back and forth with one point lead changes until Bella Jones got to the service line off a Tiger error. Jones guided a 4-0 run while picking up back to back aces to put the Redhawks ahead by three, 6-3 early in the contest. A block from Lexi Jones and Olukanmi, along with a kill from Jones, pushed SU’s lead to five before the Tigers spun around with a 4-1 run to pull back within one. Another small burst by Pacific put the Tigers ahead 14-13 before the two programs exchanged five ties late into the opening set. Out of a Seattle U timeout, Pacific went ahead by three behind a 5-0 run before a pair of kills from Olukanmi made it a one point contest. The Tigers would take the first set 25-21, closing on a 3-0 run.
The Redhawks cruised ahead early in the second set with a 4-0 advantage following a string of Tiger errors. A pair of aces from Demant grabbed the 9-4 lead for Seattle U ahead of 7-0 run through the middle of the set. The Redhawks recorded four straight kills in the process before Grace Jones picked up back to back aces to put the Redhawks ahead 15-6. Freshman Vai Unga logged the kill to put the Redhawks ahead by ten. Seattle U continued to press, crossing 20 points with a kill from Melton. Following a 3-0 burst from Pacific, the Redhawks led 20-12 before closing on a 5-1 run behind kills from Unga and Olukanmi and a block from Olukanmi and McEllrath to take the second set 25-13.
Melton kept the scoring going into the third, logging two kills in the early set. The two teams wrestled for runs, exchanging one point advantages until a kill from sophomore Chloee Leslie put the Redhawks up 12-8. An ace from Bella Jones and an error from Pacific gave the Redhawks the 15-11 advantage into the media break. Out of the timeout, the Tigers swung back with a 7-1 run to claim the lead 18-16. The Redhawks responded with a 4-0 run of their own, kick started by a kill from Unga and an ace from Grace Jones. McEllrath and Unga teamed up for the block to push Seattle U to 20 points, sparking a flurry of blocks from McEllrath and Melton to give the Redhawks the 23-20 lead. An ace from McEllrath forced set point but the Tigers did not go away quietly, rattling off three straight to pull within one. Melton put the set away with a kill, giving the Redhawks the 2-1 set lead.
McEllrath and Melton picked up where they left out, recording the opening kills in set four for Seattle U. The Tigers went toe to toe with the Redhawks sharing seven ties until a Pacific error sent Leslie to the line. The Redhawks strung together a 4-0 run with three straight kills before Lexi Jones logged the kill to give SU the 15-11 lead into the media timeout. A few Tiger errors and a kill from Melton sent Grace Jones to the line to pick up her final ace of the contest, giving the Redhawks the 20-13 lead in the fourth set. Pacific met the Redhawks turn for turn to curb any SU runs but Lexi Jones and Leslie broke through with back to back kills to force match point. The Tigers came back with a pair of kills of their own but Leslie and Jones secured the victory from up front, landing the match winning block to elevate the Redhawks to their first WCC road win and first ever win over Pacific.
Seattle U returns to action next week when it hosts both San Diego and Denver inside the Redhawk Center.
Donate Today
Fans interested in making a gift to Seattle University Athletics can do so by clicking here. Your gift directly impacts all Redhawk student athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in the community. Thank you for supporting Seattle University Athletics!
Follow Along With the Action
Stay connected with Seattle U volleyball and get all the latest team updates by downloading the GoSeattleU mobile app available now for free in the App Store or Google Play.