ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Oct. 30) – The Central Washington University volleyball team defeated the Simon Fraser University Clan Thursday night 3-1 (25-18,25-21,20-25,25-23) to improve its home record to 10-1 on the season.
 
The regionally ranked Wildcats improve to 16-6 on the season and 9-5 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.  Simon Fraser falls to 14-7, 8-5 in the GNAC.
 
"We expected a grueling match against Simon Fraser," CWU head coach Mario Andaya said. "They are tough defensively, we would have liked to take the third set but we came into the game expecting a battle."
 
The Wildcats who went up two games to zero and looked to be in control of the match.  The Clan turned things around in the third set, defeating the Wildcats 25-20 and cutting the Wildcats lead to 2-1.
 
Simon Fraser was in great position to win the fourth set as they built a 7-0 lead over the Wildcats to start the fourth set.  After coach Andaya took a timeout the Wildcat went on an 11-2 run to take the lead.
 
"We decided right then right there that we were going to come together as a team and win the match," CWU setter Catie Fry said about the conversation during the fourth set timeout. "We always talk about how close we are as a team and this is the closest team I have ever been on and that is how we win games."
 
The teams traded blows in the fourth set and with the Clan leading 23-22, Linden Firethorne tied the match up with a kill and Julie Hulbert finished on Simon Fraser with back to back kills to give the Wildcats the 25-23 victory in frame and the 3-1 match win.
 
"Julie [Hulbert] was rock for us, she had some big blocks for us and in transition the kid was just dynamite," Andaya said about his senior middle blocker. "She is maybe someone teams don't consider a big threat, but she brings it every night and she came through for us again tonight."
 
Hulbert was the Wildcats most effective hitter on the night collecting 11 kills and hit .421.  Kiah Jones led the Wildcats with 13 kills while Firethone and Jordan Deming each added 9.   Fry ended the night with 53 assists a kill and a block.
 
Up next, the Wildcats square off against rival Western Washington University this Saturday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.