Box Score

ELLENSBURG (Nov. 8) -- Senior Kristel Baeckel (Gresham, Ore./Sam Barlow HS) had eight kills and five service aces, and Kady Try (Brentwood, Calif./Mead HS) added a match-high 11 kills and three solo blocks as the Central Washington University volleyball team won its 2010 home finale 25-13, 25-18, 25-18 over visiting Simon Fraser University on Monday night at Nicholson Pavilion.

The Wildcats, who won their final eight home matches of the season, improved to 13-9 overall and 11-6 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. Simon Fraser finished its first season as a member of the NCAA Division II with a 4-18 overall record and 4-14 in the GNAC.

Central jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first set, thanks to three consecutive aces by Baeckel, but the Wildcats were unable to shake Simon Fraser until a 5-0 run midway through the set that propelled them to a 16-8 lead. Baeckel later added consecutive aces with an 18-11 lead in hand to help CWU cruise to the eventual 12-point win in the opening set.

Seven of the Wildcats' eight aces in the match came in the first set, and offensively, they hit .478 with 12 kills and just one error in 23 attempts.

The Wildcats were forced to rally from behind in the second set, trailing by as many as four at 12-8. They were unable to gain the lead for good until a 6-0 run turned a 17-15 deficit into a 21-17 advantage, which started a 10-1 set-ending run.

The final set was closer than the final score would indicate, as Central Washington had four match points before winning on a service error. The Wildcats used several small scoring spurts midway through the set to take control, and led by nine on multiple occasions down the stretch.

Offensively, the third set belonged to Try, who had seven of her 11 kills in the final stanza.

Try and Baeckel were Central's top two kill producers with the 11 and eight, respectively, followed by junior Meg Ryan (Spokane/Mead HS) with seven. Ryan also had 10 digs, second only to senior Brandie Vea (Honolulu, Hawaii/Kalani HS) on the Wildcats. Vea had 12 in her final collegiate home match. Junior setter Carlee Marble (La Conner) finished with 30 assists and two aces, while senior Shaina Afoa (Anchorage, Alaska/A.J. Dimond HS) logged a career-high four kills.

Simon Fraser was led by the seven kills from KJ Fridfinnson and Marina Liarsky, while libero Brianna Kellough led all players with 19 digs.

Central Washington saw five seniors -- Try, Baeckel, Afoa, Vea, and Bri Gregory (Bremerton) -- play their final matches inside Nicholson Pavilion. The Wildcats will now wrap up their 2010 season on Thursday night (Nov. 11) at rival Western Washington in Bellingham.