Redhawks Face Conference Leader in Pepperdine - Seattle University

Redhawks Meet West Coast Conference Leader Pepperdine at the Redhawk Center

Seattle University volleyball enters Thursday evening’s home match holding a 4-14 overall record and a 1-7 mark in West Coast Conference play, goseattleu.com reported. The Redhawks face a daunting test against conference frontrunner Pepperdine, which arrives in Seattle sporting a 16-4 record and an 8-1 conference standing.

The matchup brings the Waves to the Redhawk Center for only the fourth all-time meeting between the two programs. Pepperdine holds a 3-0 advantage in the series history, which was first established in 2009 before the two sides renewed hostilities as conference opponents during the 2025 season. The Waves also carry a 1-0 edge in matches played on Seattle’s home floor.

Seattle University returns to the court following a hard-fought, narrow loss to Portland. In that outing, senior Teagan Melton fueled the offense with a career-high 19 kills. Melton anchors the Redhawk attack this season, leading the squad with 154 total kills across 17 matches. The opposite hitter ranks 20th in the WCC in total kills and sits 18th in the conference with 2.61 kills per set.

Sophomore Chloee Leslie provides secondary firepower with 140 kills on the campaign. Directing the offensive scheme is junior Grace Jones, whose 310 assists place her 11th in the WCC, averaging 4.92 assists per set. Fellow setter Bella Jones contributes significantly from the rotation, distributing 185 assists to rank 13th in the conference with 4.02 assists per set.

Defensively and at the service line, junior Hailey McEllrath sets the tone for Seattle. McEllrath paces the team with 19 service aces, a mark that ties her for 19th in the conference. She also anchors the back-row defense and net play with 48.0 total blocks, good for 18th in the league.

Net protection remains a distinct strength for the Redhawks, who have totaled 145.0 blocks this year. Their 44 solo blocks rank second across the entire WCC. Jones has collected 11 solo blocks, ranking sixth in the conference, while teammate Leslie joins her in the conference top-10 with nine solo blocks of her own.

Aerial view of the cherry blossoms of the university of washington in seattle during sunrise

In the back row, freshman Janae Demant anchors the floor defense. Demant has recorded 209 digs, placing her 11th in the WCC, while her 3.32 digs per set leads the team and ranks seventh in the conference. As a team, Seattle maintains an efficient service game, averaging 1.44 aces per set to sit comfortably in the upper half of the WCC.

Following Thursday’s contest against Pepperdine, the Redhawks stay at home to host LMU for a Halloween matchup on Saturday at 1 PM.