Box Score
Final 2010 Statistics

BELLINGHAM (Nov. 11) -- Senior Kady Try (Brentwood, Calif./Mead HS) had 13 kills in her final collegiate match, and junior Meg Ryan (Spokane/Mead HS) added 11 kills and 15 digs, but the Central Washington University volleyball team was overmatched by 15th-ranked Western Washington University in a 25-19, 25-21, 25-16 loss to the Vikings on Thursday night at Carver Gym.

The Wildcats finished their 2010 season with a 13-10 overall record and 11-7 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. CWU, which had seven losses to teams ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II top 25 this season, will finish either fourth or fifth in the final GNAC standings. Western Washington, meanwhile, pulled into a first-place tie at 15-2 in conference play (18-3 overall).

Try, who finished her career with 1,181 kills for fourth on the school's all-time list, helped the Wildcats hit .200 in each of the first two sets as she combined for eight kills in 22 swings in those two frames. However, despite Central's respectable hitting percentage to start the match, Western Washington was slightly better in each set (.216 and .238) and the Vikings built a 2-0 lead with six- and four-point set victories.

The duo of Try and Ryan were the Wildcats' go-to hitters throughout the entire match, especially in the third set as Central tried to keep the match alive. They combined for 35 of the Wildcats' 46 hitting attempts in the final set but managed just nine kills in that frame, and Western finished on a feverish run after seven ties and three lead changes early in the set. After Central had its final lead at 12-11, WWU outscored the Wildcats 14-4.

Only five CWU players were credited with kills in the match, although the Wildcats' two starting middle blockers -- senior Kristel Baeckel (Gresham, Ore./Sam Barlow HS) and freshman Erin Smith (Selah) -- each hit .400 or above and had five and four kills, respectively. Junior setter Carlee Marble (La Conner) finished with 30 assists.

Defensively, three Central players totaled 10 or more digs. Senior Brandie Vea (Honolulu, Hawaii/Kalani HS) capped her illustrious Wildcat career with 18 digs on Thursday night (and a school-record 1,774 over her four seasons). Ryan and freshman Chelsie Vea (Honolulu, Hawaii/Kalani HS) added 15 and 11 digs, respectively.

Western Washington was led by the 12 kills of Marlayna Geary and 11 from Megan Amundson. The Vikings also fired seven service aces at the Wildcats while CWU was held without an ace for just the second time this season. Allison Gotz led all players with 25 digs for the Vikings.

Central Washington, which finished with its ninth winning record in the past 10 seasons, bid adieu to five seniors following Thursday's finale. Try, Vea, Baeckel, Bri Gregory (Bremerton), and Shaina Afoa (Anchorage, Alaska/A.J. Dimond HS) all suited up for the final time in their careers.