Box Score
ELLENSBURG (Sept. 16) -- Senior Kristel Baeckel (Gresham, Ore./Sam Barlow HS) had seven kills, six blocks, and a .545 hitting percentage in two sets off the bench, but the Central Washington University volleyball team was unable to rally back from a 2-0 deficit in falling to 20th-ranked Seattle Pacific University, three sets to one, on Thursday night at Nicholson Pavilion. Set scores were 25-19, 25-23, 18-25, 25-23.
The loss dropped Central's record to 2-5 on the season and 1-2 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. All five Wildcat losses have come to teams ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II Top 25 this year. Seattle Pacific maintained its undefeated record at 9-0 and 1-0 in the GNAC.
The Wildcats stayed close with the visiting Falcons in each of the first two sets, doing so in the first set despite getting off to a rocky offensive start with 10 hitting errors. Seattle Pacific, meanwhile, hit .229 and .275 in the first two frames and escaped a second set that featured 10 ties and three lead changes after a CWU service error at 23-23 and a set-clinching kill by Lindsey Wodrich.
Facing the 2-0 deficit, Central Washington roared back in the third set. The Wildcats hit at a .379 clip and totaled four blocks in the frame, sparked by the play of Baeckel, who made just her second appearance in seven matches this season. The middle blocker had four kills and four blocks with a .600 hitting percentage in the third set, and CWU had just one attack error to Seattle Pacific's 11 in leading from start-to-finish.
In the fourth set, it almost appeared as if Central might force a decisive fifth frame for the second straight home match. In a set that featured 15 ties and seven lead changes, the Wildcats led as late as 22-21 before Seattle Pacific scored back-to-back points. After a Baeckel kill tied the score at 23 apiece, a hitting CWU error and a kill by the Falcons' Nikki Lowell gave SPU the victory.
Central Washington senior Kady Try (Brentwood, Calif./Mead HS), who entered this week ranked fifth in the NCAA Division II with 4.55 kills per set, overcame six first-set hitting errors to again lead the Wildcats in kills with 15. She also added 15 digs in the match. Junior Meg Ryan (Spokane/Mead HS) finished with nine kills, while true freshman Erin Smith (Selah) had a career-high eight kills and a .500 hitting percentage. Sophomore Molly Mayer (East Wenatchee/Eastmont HS) had six kills and aided Baeckel up front with four assisted blocks. Senior libero Brandie Vea (Honolulu, Hawaii/Kalani HS) had a season-high 32 digs as Central out-dug SPU by a 74-71 count for the match.
The Falcons, who extended their school-record start to nine consecutive victories, were led by four players with 10 or more kills. Paige Hoffman finished with 16 kills and a .359 hitting percentage, while Wodrich had a double-double of 12 kills and 13 digs. Lowell (12 kills, seven blocks) and Sarah Risser (10 kills) also reached double digits in the kill department for Seattle Pacific, while Anna Herold edged out Central's Vea for match-high honors in digs with 34.
Central Washington will travel to Montana State Billings (0-9, 0-1 GNAC) on Saturday night before returning home for four straight matches beginning next Monday (Sept. 20) against Walla Walla University.
