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ELLENSBURG (Oct. 10) -- Freshman JORDAN DEMING (Hillsboro, Ore./Century HS) had 14 kills, 24 digs, and five service aces in her collegiate debut, and the Central Washington University volleyball team outlasted visiting Seattle Pacific University, three sets to two, on Thursday night at Nicholson Pavilion. Set scores were 25-17, 19-25, 25-14, 22-25, 15-10.

CWU snapped a two-match losing streak, improving to 7-8 overall and 3-4 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. Seattle Pacific fell to 7-7 overall and 3-3 in the GNAC.

Deming, who did not play in any of the first 14 matches this season for CWU, not only made her collegiate debut on Thursday but she also started as an outside hitter. She finished as the Wildcats' top point scorer on the night, accumulating two blocks to go with her totals in the kill and ace departments. She was also one of three Wildcat players to record 20 or more digs in the match, with junior KAELY KIGHT (Spokane/Mead HS) totaling a match-high 26 and junior LAUREN HERSETH (Olympia) adding 21.

The Wildcats' first two set victories -- 25-17 in the first and 25-14 in the third -- were quite convincing and were aided by a strong offensive showing by CWU while SPU struggled on the attack. A 7-0 run keyed the first set performance, enabling the Wildcats to overcome a four-point deficit (9-5) and jumpstarting them on a 20-8 run to close the frame. They then used a 6-2 run to start the third set and later scored the final four points.

In the fifth set, the Wildcats once again posted a hot start by scoring five of the first six tallies. Seattle Pacific closed to within two points at 9-7, but after a CWU timeout, the Wildcats responded with three of the next four points. SPU was within two points once again at 12-10, but consecutive kills by sophomore RACHEL HANSES (Yakima/West Valley HS) gave the hosts match point and they then clinched the match on a Falcon attack error.

Hanses led all players with 15 kills and was an efficient .224 for the match, followed by Deming's 14 kills and 11 from senior EMMY DOLAN (Castle Rock).

In addition to a 99-82 edge in digs for the Wildcats, they outblocked the Falcons -- the second-ranked blocking team in NCAA Division II -- by an 11-10 count. Six players contributed in the blocking department, led by five total blocks from sophomore LINDEN FIRETHORNE (Clinton/South Whidbey HS). CWU also outscored SPU in kills (60-43) and aces (8-4), and hit 51 percentage points better than their visitors.

Ellie Britt had a double-double of 14 kills and 11 digs for Seattle Pacific, while Nikki Lowell had 10 kills and six assisted blocks for the Falcons. Brianna Leenders led SPU with 22 digs -- one of five Falcons with 10 or more digs for the match.

CWU will look to get back to the .500 mark on Saturday night, hosting Montana State University Billings in a 7 p.m. contest in Nicholson Pavilion.