Box Score

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Oct. 7) -- Despite 22 kills from senior Kady Try (Brentwood, Calif./Mead HS), the Central Washington University volleyball team saw its five-match win streak snapped in a 25-21, 25-18, 12-25, 25-22 loss to the University of Alaska Anchorage on Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.

The Wildcats, who had won 15 consecutive sets entering Thursday, fell to 7-6 overall and 5-3 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The loss to the Seawolves was the first to an unranked team this season by CWU, who fell into a three-way tie for third place in the conference with UAA (10-6, 5-3) and Western Oregon (7-6, 5-3).

Central opened a stretch of six of its next seven matches on the road with a hard-fought loss on Thursday, as they saw five ties and three lead changes in the first set and four ties and one lead change in the second but dropped each of the two frames. They rebounded in commanding fashion in the third set by hitting .400 and forcing Alaska Anchorage into eight hitting errors in taking a 25-12 set victory, but trailed from start-to-finish in the fourth before being edged by three points.

Try, the Wildcats' leader in kills and points, averaged better than five kills per set against the Seawolves, recording her third 20-kill match of the season and adding two aces and five assisted blocks. Junior Meg Ryan (Spokane/Mead HS) also had a standout match overall for CWU, recording her fourth double-double of the season with 12 kills and 11 digs as the duo of former Mead Panthers combined for 34 of Central's 46 kills in the match. Senior Kristel Baeckel (Gresham, Ore./Sam Barlow HS) added six kills, three aces, and a career-high eight blocks, while sophomore Marcy Hjellum (Kennewick/Kamiakin HS) came off the bench to score five kills in eight attempts.

Alaska Anchorage had five players with six or more kills, including four of its starters that collectively amassed 44 kills and hit .287 between them. Jackie Matthisen led the Seawolves with 16 kills, while Robyn Burton added 13 kills as both players hit .345 or better. Burton led all players with nine blocks in the match.

Central Washington continues its weekend trip to Alaska with a Saturday night match in Fairbanks against the Alaska Nanooks. The Wildcats will then play their only remaining October home match next Thursday (Oct. 14) against Montana State Billings.