PORTLAND - Seattle University volleyball (4-14, 1-7 WCC) battled its I-5 rival Portland (11-6, 4-4 WCC) to five sets, but could not complete the bounce back win, falling 3-2 (26-24, 21-25, 19-25, 25-19, 4-15) to the Pilots inside the Chiles Center on Saturday afternoon.
Senior Teagan Melton’s career high 19 kills paved the wave for the Redhawk offense, as the opposite hitter combined for a .385 hitting percentage on 39 attempts with four errors. Melton also logged 2.0 blocks and a dig on the defensive end. Sophomore Chloee Leslie added double-digit kills of her own, posting 11 in the match. Leslie secured seven digs and 3.0 blocks while picking up two aces.
Junior Hailey McEllrath guided the Redhawks from the service line, recording four aces, one shy of her career high. The middle blocker posted 4.0 blocks and four digs while picking up three kills on seven attempts with no errors. Sophomore Lexi Jones paved the way for Seattle U’s block, picking up 6.0 total on the afternoon.
Orchestrating the offense was junior Grace Jones, who logged 23 assists, her eighth 20+ assist performance this season. She finished two digs shy of a double-double, collecting eight digs. Sophomore Bella Jones aided the offense, contributing 18 assists, two aces and a kill. The setter also grabbed five digs.
Aiding the defense was freshman Janae Demont, who paced the team with 11 digs. Fellow freshman Elaina Duong was the fourth Redhawk in the match to secure 2 or more aces in the contest.
The Redhawks combined for 49 kills, 45 assists, 11 aces, 52 digs and 10.0 blocks.
Saturday’s first set required more than 25 points as the Pilots and Redhawks fought late after Portland got the early first set lead 9-2. Following a timeout from the Redhawks, Duong guided a 4-0 run from the line to pull within three, grabbing two aces while freshman Vai Unga and Melton each locked up kills. Portland came back to push their lead to six, 18-12, before another burst from the Redhawks kept the contest within three points following a kill from freshman Orinayo Olukanmi.
A block from McEllrath and Unga, along with back to back kills from Melton, Seattle U forced a Portland timeout late, trailing 20-19. Lexi Jones and Melton teamed up for the set tying block, 22-22, before Melton kept the tie with a kill 23-23. An ace from Bella Jones granted the Redhawks set point before the Pilots leveled the set with a kill. Leslie stepped up for the final two points, bagging a kill and an ace to elevate the Redhawks above the Pilots in the first set 26-24.
Seattle U carried its momentum into the second set, leading 7-3 with its block and kills from Leslie and Melton. A 7-0 run from the Pilots pivoted the set as the Redhawks trailed 12-9. The Redhawks came back with a 6-1 run behind Melton kills and an ace from McEllrath, to claim the 15-13 mid-set lead. Another sharp pivot by the Pilots pulled the lead to Portland, as the Redhawks trailed 24-19. Seattle U came back within three with back to back kills from Unga and Melton, but the Pilots would level the match with a 25-21 second set win.
Portland took an early third set lead 9-5 before a 4-1 run from the Redhawks pulled the match within one, 10-9. The pair would exchange another bout of runs, with McEllrath leading the Redhawks with back to back aces to tie the set 14-all. Portland held to its lead late in the set, pacing the Redhawks by six, 23-17. An Olukanmi kill and Pilot error kept the set alive, but the Pilots would take the 2-1 set advantage behind a 25-19 third set victory.
The Pilots continued the pressure into the fourth set, pacing the Redhawks 9-4 before a 4-0 run pulled Seattle U within a point following kills from Melton and freshman Tierney Ervin. Demant logged the set tying ace to aid the Redhawks in a 6-1 run, which put Seattle U up 14-11. A pair of kills from Melton pushed the Redhawks ahead by four, 19-15, before the Pilots came back within a point after a 3-0 run. Leslie pushed back with a kill and ace before freshman Linnaea Moore put the Redhawks ahead 22-18 with a kill. Following a Portland timeout, the Redhawks forced a fifth set with back to back blocks from Moore and McEllrath, claiming the fourth set 25-19.
Portland spun the match with an early fifth set lead, pacing the Redhawks by five before Melton grabbed her career high 19th kill of the match. The Pilots would string together two more bursts of runs to claim the match behind a 15-4 fifth set win.
The Redhawks return to action next weekend with a pair of home matches, first hosting Pepperdine before wrapping the weekend with LMU.
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