Box Score

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Sept. 13) -- Junior Emmy Dolan (Castle Rock) had a career-high 17 kills and redshirt freshman Kaitlin Quirk (Ellensburg) posted career-bests with 10 kills and 10 blocks, but the Central Washington University volleyball team lost a five-set thriller to the University of Alaska Anchorage on Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex. Set scores were 25-19, 25-21, 26-28, 17-25, 15-10 in favor of the host Seawolves.

The match was the Great Northwest Athletic Conference opener for both schools. CWU fell to 5-4 on the season with its third consecutive loss, while UAA, which played its fifth consecutive home match, improved to 6-3 on the season.

The Wildcats rallied from their early 2-0 match deficit, and had to fend off three match points late in the third set. However, after tying the score at 26-26, consecutive blocks by the CWU front row defense extended the match to a fourth set. CWU then sizzled offensively in the fourth set with 17 kills in 28 attempts without an error (.607 percentage) to cruise to the eight-point victory.

Alaska Anchorage was in control of the fifth set, leading with the exception of one tie at 6-6. At that point, the Seawolves scored three straight tallies -- and nine of the final 13 -- to earn the victory.

Dolan, the Wildcats' right-side hitter finished with five assisted blocks to go with her match-high 17 kills. Her previous career-high for kills had been 14 last season at Western Oregon -- a plateau she broke on the final point of the fourth set Thursday night.

Quirk, meanwhile, tied her career-high for kills and became the first CWU player since Rachael Schurman to record 10 or more blocks in a match. Schurman had 11 in a match at Alaska Anchorage during the 2008 season. Quirk also hit .625 for the match, not committing a hitting miscue in 16 attempts.

Senior Marcy Hjellum (Kennewick/Kamiakin HS) added 16 kills, 13 digs, and six blocks for the Wildcats. Sophomore Kaely Kight (Spokane/Mead HS) tied her career-high with 29 digs as CWU outdug Alaska Anchorage, 72-65. The Wildcats also held a 16-11 edge in total team blocks.

Alaska Anchorage had five players with 10 or more kills, led by 16 each from Julia Mackey and Sarah Johnson. Johnson added 15 digs for the Seawolves.

Central Washington will remain in Alaska for a Saturday night match against the Alaska Nanooks (2-5, 0-1 GNAC) in Fairbanks. The Wildcats' home opener is slated for next Thursday (Sept. 20) against Simon Fraser University at 7 p.m.