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LACEY (Sept. 21) -- Sophomore Kaitlin Quirk (Ellensburg) hit .579 with 11 kills, and fellow sophomore Linden Firethorne (Clinton/South Whidbey HS) added a match-high 12 kills and .409 hitting percentage as the 24th-ranked Central Washington University volleyball team snapped a three-match losing streak with a 25-14, 25-19, 25-20 sweep of host Saint Martin's University on Saturday night at Marcus Pavilion.

The win evened the Wildcats' overall record (5-5) and in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action (1-1). Saint Martin's fell to 2-10 overall and 0-2 in the GNAC.

"We did a good job staying aggressive offensively for most of the match," CWU head coach Mario Andaya said. "Linden and Kaitlin were steady tonight, coming up with several key points for us. I was proud of how we responded after struggling offensive on Thursday (at Western Oregon)."

The Wildcats' final .381 hitting percentage was the team's highest single-match efficiency against a NCAA Division II opponent since Sept. 1, 2006, when CWU hit .422 against Millersville University (Pa.). The only percentage better over that span was a .514 clip against NAIA member Walla Walla University last season.

CWU cruised to victory in the first set, hitting .448 as a team with 16 kills and just three attack errors while helping contain the Saint Martin's attack. The Wildcats then scored seven of the final eight points in a very offensive second set that saw 12 ties and four lead changes, with CWU hitting .515 as a team and the host Saints countering with a .379 clip. Then, in the final frame, the Wildcats raced out to a 6-1 lead en route to completing the sweep.

Although the offense put up efficient numbers, Andaya also praised his defense for helping get the hitters in position to score points.

"Lauren and Zoe passed really well tonight and allowed us to keep pace with Saint Martin's when they were making a run," he said, referring to defensive specialists Lauren Herseth (Jr., Olympia) and Zoe Iida (So., Bothell).

Iida finished with eight digs and Herseth added six, with junior Kaely Kight (Spokane/Mead HS) leading all players with 18 digs in the match. CWU finished with a 42-34 edge in that department, complementing their 51 kills and four service aces. Sophomore setter Catie Fry (Tacoma/Mount Si HS) finished with 42 assists in the three-set match.

Saint Martin's was led by the nine kills of Brooke Good and seven from Carrie Starbuck.

CWU, which played its first 10 matches of the season away from home in four different states, will make its 2013 home debut inside Nicholson Pavilion next Thursday (Sept. 26) against the University of Alaska Anchorage at 7 p.m.