At the end of the season for conference play in the WCC, the volleyball team has maintained its momentum this week with massive wins against state rivals Gonzaga Bulldogs and Seattle Redhawks. On Saturday, the Cougars defeated the Redhawks three sets to zero.
It was a packed Bohler Gymnasium when a mix of Taryn Vrieling, Lucie Blažkova and Melina Christodoulu obtained 28 combined kills. They were a highlight of the Cougars’ good offensive performance. As a team, they shot 64.9% in the match, which was better than Seattle’s 47.9%.
WSU Outside Hitter Taryn Vrieling leaps for a kill against Seattle University, Nov. 15, 2025
In the first set, the Cougars started strong, gaining a large lead, but the Redhawks did make a fight close to the end of the set, going on a 5-0 run. But closing out the first set, the Cougars got a kill from Blažkova to make it set point. With a chance to survive the first set, the Redhawks had an error which led to the Cougars winning the first set.
With a lot of momentum in favor of Seattle, going into the second set, it was evident when Madyn Cervellara helped secure a 10-6 lead. Cervellara was the key offensive performer for the Redhawks, getting nine kills in the match. After a much-needed time out from Korey Schroeder, the Cougars gained all the momentum and dominated the end of the second set. Vrieling had one of her best performances of the season, grabbing 12 kills in the match. In the second set, she helped revitalize the Cougars’ offense. The Cougars finished the second set scoring 12-5 compared to the Redhawks, taking all of the momentum of the match into the third set.
WSU volleyball joins the applause as they finish their match against Seattle University, Nov. 15, 2025
But the Cougars, with all the momentum after coming back in the second set, started the third set explosively. Tinon Munar Galmes began the third set strong with multiple service aces and started with a 7-0 lead. The Redhawks tried to get a little fight back after the Cougars took a massive lead, but after a couple of back-and-forth points, the Cougars were able to finish it from a block assist by Eliana Ti’a, the final point.
With the conference win, the Cougars moved to 16-8 overall with a 10-4 WCC record. Their ranking in the conference is fourth, which is where they have been for a lot of the season.
The next match-up is a big one for a lot of Cougars, as it will be their senior night. They will play against the Portland Pilots on Thursday, Nov. 17, at Bohler Gymnasium for the final volleyball home game of the season.
