Box Score

ELLENSBURG (Sept. 20) -- Fifteen Central Washington University players appeared in at least one set, and the Wildcat volleyball team used a balanced all-around attack in cruising to a 3-0 sweep of visiting Walla Walla University on Monday night at Nicholson Pavilion. Set scores were 25-11, 25-17, 25-13.

The Wildcats earned their second consecutive three-set sweep, improving to 4-5 overall. Walla Walla, which competes as a dual member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), fell to 4-12 on the year.

Senior Kady Try (Brentwood, Calif./Mead HS), who tied for the team lead with eight kills in the match, became the sixth player in CWU history with 1,000 or more kills in her career.

Central Washington turned in its most efficient offensive performance against the overmatched, hitting at a .377 percentage with just six hitting errors in 77 attempts. Just one of the Wildcats' six starters -- senior middle blocker Kristel Baeckel (Gresham, Ore./Sam Barlow HS) -- played in all three sets on Monday, as she totaled six kills and a .556 hitting percentage.

The first set was never in question, as the Wildcats led from the opening serve and raced out to a 13-5 lead. They then closed the frame with the final seven points.

In the second set, Central began to play its reserves, and Walla Walla jumped out to an early 6-4 lead. However, after four straight Wildcat points returned the lead to the hosts, they never looked back, later using a five-point scoring run to make it 18-10. CWU overcame its lowest hitting percentage of the match at .206.

In the final frame, the Wildcat offense sizzled with a .619 percentage -- the highest in a single set this year -- behind near flawless hitting from Baeckel and sophomores Jordan Offutt (Leavenworth/Cascade HS) and Marcy Hjellum (Kennewick/Kamiakin HS). That threesome combined for 13 kills in 16 attempts without an error in the set, including six kills from Hjellum and four kills in as many swings by Offutt, who finished with a career-high six kills in the match.

Hjellum joined Try with eight kills each for Central Washington, while senior Brandie Vea (Honolulu, Hawaii/Kalani HS) led a balanced defensive effort with 31 digs although the Wildcats were outdug, 33-31, by the visiting Wolves. Up front, freshman Erin Smith (Selah) had four assisted blocks to help CWU finish with an 8-0 edge in team blocks. Sophomore setter Devin Larson (Mukilteo/Kamiak HS) had 21 assists in two sets to lead the Wildcats.

Heather McFadden led Walla Walla with nine kills and 10 digs, but the Wolves hit just .038 as a team and fell victim to nine CWU service errors.

Central Washington returns to Great Northwest Athletic Conference play this Saturday (Sept. 25), hosting Northwest Nazarene at 7 p.m. in Nicholson Pavilion. The Wildcats will also host Western Oregon and Saint Martin's next week as their season-long four-match home stand continues.