Box Score

NAMPA, Idaho (Sept. 22) -- Freshman Cheltzie Williams (Twin Falls, Idaho) had a career-high 14 kills and hit .462 in her first collegiate volleyball match in her home state, but the Central Washington University volleyball team was unable to match host Northwest Nazarene University in falling 19-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-22 to the host Crusaders on Thursday night at the Johnson Sports Center.

The Wildcats fell to 8-5 overall and 2-3 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. NNU improved to 5-4 overall and 3-2 in the GNAC.

Williams, whose hometown of Twin Falls is approximately 150 miles east of Nampa, reached double figures in kills for the second time in her young career. She had a monstrous final two sets of the match, totaling five kills each in the third and fourth sets. She finished the match with just two errors in 26 attempts, culminating in her second-highest hitting percentage of the season.

Junior Jordan Offutt (Leavenworth/Cascade HS) provided the Wildcats with another standout offensive performance, leading all players with 17 kills in the match. She, too, was efficient, hitting at a .406 clip while firing two of Central Washington's four service aces in the match.

"Jordan and Cheltzie were tough to stop tonight, but we were out of character in other positions," CWU head coach Mario Andaya explained. "(Setter) Carlee (Marble) ran a good offense, and when we had the chance to hit, we did well. We just couldn't pass very well tonight, which took us out of any offensive rhythm."

The Wildcats did have difficulties with the service of Northwest Nazarene, surrendering nine service aces to the Crusaders. CWU also had eight service errors in the four-set match, while finishing with just four service aces. Defensively, the Wildcats nearly matched NNU in the dig department (63-61).

In winning the first set, Central Washington closed on a 19-8 run after facing an 11-6 deficit. The Wildcats had their most efficient set offensively in the match, hitting .333, while also registering four of their five blocks for the match.

Northwest Nazarene escaped the second and fourth sets that featured seven ties in each. The Crusaders' offense hit .300 and .378 in the middle two sets, and did not trail the Wildcats whatsoever in the third set before winning 25-22. In the final frame, CWU nearly rallied rallied from an early seven-point deficit (15-8), cutting the margin to one at 21-20 and 22-21 before NNU avoided a decisive fifth set.

Individually, Offutt and Williams combined for 31 kills. Sophomore Erin Smith (Selah) was next with eight kills, followed by sophomore Emmy Dolan (Castle Rock) with five and three players with four each. Senior setter Carlee Marble (La Conner) had 42 assists and was one of those players with four kills (in five attempts), and sophomore Chelsie Vea (Honolulu, Hawaii/Kalani HS) had a match-high 16 digs.

NNU saw four players reach double digits in the kill department, led by Haley Abbott with 16 kills and a .500 hitting percentage.

Central Washington will have two more away matches before its next contest at Nicholson Pavilion on Oct. 6. The Wildcats visit Western Oregon and Saint Martin's next Thursday (Sept. 29) and Saturday (Oct. 1), respectively.