Box Score

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (Oct. 9) -- Junior Meg Ryan (Spokane/Mead HS) had a double-double of 11 kills and 12 digs, but the Central Washington University volleyball team was held winless in the state of Alaska for the third straight season as the Wildcats fell to the host Alaska Nanooks 25-19, 25-22, 25-20 on Saturday night at the Patty Center.

Saturday's loss dropped the Wildcats to .500 overall at 7-7 and 5-4 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action at the midway point of the league season. Alaska improved to 5-10 overall and 3-6 in the conference.

In a closely-contested match, Central was never quite able to get the break it needed to take a set off the Nanooks. The two teams had 10 ties and three lead changes in the second set, and then 12 ties and six lead changes in the third frame, but the Wildcats' latest lead in any of the sets was a 20-19 advantage in the second.

The Wildcats were outmatched at the net, particularly, where 15 of their 25 hitting errors in the three-set match were the result of blocks by Alaska. Overall, Central's .053 hitting percentage was its lowest in 14 matches this season.

Ryan and senior Kady Try (Brentwood, Calif./Mead HS) again proved to be the focal point of Central's offense, combining for 21 of the Wildcats' 31 kills between them. Junior setter Carlee Marble (La Conner) finished with 30 assists for CWU, which failed to record at least one service ace in a match for the first time since Nov. 6, 1999.

Senior Brandie Vea (Honolulu, Hawaii/Kalani HS) led all players with 15 digs.

Alaska was led offensively by the 12 kills of Simone Chavous, while Mandy Grierson had 10 assisted blocks and Erica Gage added one solo and nine assisted stuffs for the Nanooks.

Central Washington returns home to Nicholson Pavilion next Thursday (Oct. 14) for its lone remaining home match in the month of October. The Wildcats will then return to the road for four consecutive away contests.