Box Score

MONMOUTH, Ore. (Sept. 29) -- Junior Jordan Offutt (Leavenworth/Cascade HS) recovered from a slow offensive start to record a match-high 14 kills, but the Central Washington University volleyball team was unable to slow down Western Oregon University in falling in straight sets to the Wolves, 25-23, 25-22, 25-18, on Thursday night at the Physical Education Building.

The loss was the second in a row for the Wildcats, who are now 8-6 with three two-match losing streaks on the season. CWU is now 2-4 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play, while Western Oregon improved to 5-6 overall and 4-3 in the conference.

Offutt, who leads the Wildcats in kills for the season, had just three kills in the first set as CWU hit just .133 as a team. She rebounded in the second set, collecting seven kills in nine attempts with just one error, and finished the match with four kills and a .400 percentage in the third set.

Central Washington picked up its offensive pace after dropping the nail-biting first set, hitting at a .361 clip in the second set with 17 kills as a team. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, however, Western Oregon also improved offensively with a .457 percentage and 17 kills in the second set as the Wolves forged ahead in the match, 2-0, after a 25-22 victory.

In the final frame, CWU led near the midway point of the set, including as late as 13-12, before Western Oregon went on a 7-2 spurt and finished the match on a 12-6 run.

The Wildcats lifted their team hitting percentage to a final .221 clip, but were outscored by a 49-41 count on kills and committed 14 errors to the Wolves' 10. Central Washington had just one service ace (to Western Oregon's two), and the Wildcats finished with just three blocks as a team.

Offutt and senior Meg Ryan (Spokane/Mead HS) were the Wildcats' leaders in kills, with 14 and nine, respectively, while senior setter Carlee Marble (La Conner) finished with five kills in six attempts and added 35 assists and eight digs. Freshman Cheltzie Williams (Twin Falls, Idaho) and sophomore Erin Smith (Selah) totaled six kills apiece, and sophomore Chelsie Vea (Honolulu, Hawaii/Kalani HS) led the Wildcat defense with 16 digs.

WOU, meanwhile, finished the match with a .315 hitting percentage, and had four players with eight or more kills. Opponents have hit .285 or better in five of Central's six losses this season.

"We struggled to get into a consistent rhythm defensively," CWU head coach Mario Andaya said. "We have to learn to maintain defensive focus in order for us to do well in conference play, and we didn't do that tonight."

Western Oregon was led by Danielle Reese with 13 kills and 11 digs, and nine kills apiece from Corynn Kopra and Krissi Kemper. Becky Blees had a .533 percentage with eight kills, and Megan Triggs led all players with 21 digs in the three-set match.

Central Washington will remain on the road this Saturday (Oct. 1), as the Wildcats face Saint Martin's University in Lacey at 7 p.m. CWU then returns home on Oct. 6 to face Alaska Anchorage.