SAN FRANCISCO - Three sets needed more than they typically required, but the extended forced fifth set would not be enough as Seattle University volleyball (4-18, 1-11 WCC) fell in five, 3-2 (17-25, 30-28, 20-25, 27-25, 17-19) to San Francisco (12-14, 4-9 WCC) inside the Sobrato Center on Saturday afternoon.
Four Redhawks recorded double-digit kill efforts, with sophomore Chloee Leslie leading the way with 14 kills. Freshman Orinayo Olukanmi secured a new season high 12 kills, while senior Teagan Melton and freshman Vai Unga each logged 11 kills. Unga also saw a season high in kills with both freshmen outside hitters grabbing double-digit kills for the first time in their careers.
Junior Hailey McEllrath led the team in hitting, recording a .312 hitting percentage with six kills on 16 attempts with one error. McEllrath led Seattle U’s block party, pacing the team with 70 blocks for the second straight contest. Freshman Linnaea Moore matched McEllrath with 7.0 blocks for a new season high.
Aiding Seattle U’s block were Leslie, Olukanmi, Melton and Unga, with Leslie and Olukanmi each picking up 4.0 blocks, while Melton and Unga matched one another with 3.0 blocks.
Orchestrating the Redhawk offense was sophomore Bella Jones, who picked up a double-double with a season high tying 25 assist performance. Jones grabbed a new career high in digs, recording 16 in the match. Junior Grace Jones added 15 assists, finishing one dig shy of a double-double with nine.
Also securing a double-double in assists and digs was freshman Janae Demant, who paced the match with 23 digs to match her season high. Demant handed out a new season high 13 assists, while leading the team from the service line with three aces.
Along with Demant, McEllrath added another three aces to her team season leading total. The pair were one of four Redhawks with an ace in the contest, with Bella Jones and freshman Elaina Duong each grabbing an ace.
The Redhawks combined for 60 kills, 59 assists, eight aces, 78 digs and 14.0 blocks, pacing the Dons in blocks by six.
Seattle U opened the contest with an early set lead behind kills from Leslie before maintaining a two point advantage behind a block and kill from Moore. San Francisco bounced back to level the set 6-6, leading to the two teams exchanging two more times before the Dons went ahead by two into the media timeout, 15-13. Following the break, the Dons went on a 4-0 run before the Redhawks fought back with McEllrath leading the charge with a kill and block assist to pull within three 19-16. San Francisco closed on a 5-1 run to take set one 25-17.
The Redhawks mimicked their first set, taking the early lead with kills from Melton and Unga, pacing the Dons 6-4. San Francisco came back to tie the set and the pair exchanged seven more ties before the Dons took the narrow 15-14 advantage at the media break. Out of the timeout, the Redhawks spun a 4-1 run with blocks from McEllrath, Moore, Leslie and Melton to force a San Francisco timeout. Olukanmi grabbed the kill to put the Redhawks ahead by two 22-20, before the Dons tied the match 22-all. A back and forth ensued past 25 points before San Francisco forced set point 28-27. The Redhawks closed on a 3-0 run with a kill from Olukanmi to take set two 30-28.
San Francisco took the first lead of the third set 4-2 before building its lead to five 11-6. The Redhawks chipped at the lead with a 4-1 run in the middle of the set to trail by three following an ace from Demant. Back to back kills from Melton shaved the lead to two 18-16 before a 3-0 by the Dons put the Redhawks down by five. Settle U came back behind a 3-1 run with kills from Leslie but the Dons would take the third set 25-20.
The Dons carried their momentum into the fourth set to lead early 7-5 before kills from Leslie and Olukanmi tied the early set 7-7. After a 3-0 San Francisco run, the Redhawks came back with a run of their own, with Demant capping off the surge with another ace. The two teams exchanged six ties until the Dons crossed 20 points following a pair of Redhawk errors. Kills from Unga, Melton and McEllrath would even the set back 21-21. The Redhawks grabbed set point after a USF service error but the Dons would not go away quietly, tying the set twice before a San Francisco error and Demant’s third ace claimed the fourth set for the Redhawks 27-25.
San Francisco took the first lead after a 4-0 run put them ahead by two. Back to back blocks by the Redhawks leveled the set before the Dons went back up by two. Seattle U’s block kept the Redhawks in the contest, with Unga, Moore and McEllrath ensuring the Redhawks would tie the match two times to force a San Francisco timeout. A pair of kills from McEllrath and Unga gave the Redhawks the narrow edge 11-10 before the Dons and Redhawks exchanged more one point advantages and ties. A USF error gave the Redhawks match point but the Dons would push back to take match point at 15-14. Olukanmi and Unga spun a 3-1 Redhawk run to take match point back before the Dons scored three straight to claim the match in the fifth behind a 19-17 set victory.
The Redhawks return home for their final home matches of the season, hosting both Pacific and Saint Mary’s at the Redhawk Center next week. Seattle U closes out 2026 with four straight road matches through the end of November.
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