ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Oct. 29) – The Central Washington University volleyball team picked up a five-set victory (31-29, 21-25, 25-22, 17-25, 15-12) over Concordia University in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference match on Thursday.
 
The Wildcats are 5-1 in five-set matches this season with their win.  Overall, they improve to 15-5, with an 11-2 mark in GNAC play.  The Cavaliers fall to 15-6 and 7-6 in GNAC matches. 
 
"When we were controlling the ball we were scoring," CWU Head Coach Mario Andaya said.  "However Concordia was scoring a little more efficiently so we had to find some more chances on defense."
 
More than a third of the attacks from both teams landed for kills in the first set.  Concordia posted a hitting efficiency of .385 and Central hit .340.  The 31-29 set is the longest set in Nicholson Pavilion this season.
 
Momentum swings and seesaw battles were in abundance all night, but were ever prevalent in the first set.  The scoreboard showed an even set score 15 times in the first set alone, with five lead changes.
 
Sabrina Wheelhouse registered six kills in the opening set, while Linden Firethorne notched five kills.
 
"Catie [Fry] and I have been playing together for four years and that chemistry just comes with time," Firethorne said of her chemistry with her setter.  "Tonight we started off strong and found ourselves in a lull in the second set, but we picked it up after that."
 
Firethorne finished with 22 kills and a hitting efficiency of .395.
 
"Catie [Fry] wants to go to Linden [Firethorne] and a lot of people know that," Andaya noted.  "But we have a lot of other options she has to find to keep others off balance, but at the end of the day she is going to go to Linden in key situations and Linden wants that and today she was big."
 
After the Wildcats recorded consecutive points to gain a 25-24 advantage, Ashley Jibby leveled the score with a kill for Concordia.  The Cavaliers and Wildcats exchanged the next eight points before Kaitlin Quirk and Shelby Mauritson recorded consecutive kills to claim the first set.
 
"Set one we were point for point and were fortunate that some missed served on both teams negated our errors," Andaya added.  "They are a good team defensively and we found ways to come through in key moments."
 
Concordia claimed the second set, 25-21, in part from a seven point run early in the set to take a 10-3 advantage.  The Cavaliers did not relinquish the lead in the second, bringing the match to 1-1.
 
Central came out and notched a 5-1 lead in the third set.  The Wildcats recorded two or more consecutive points six times in the third set, keeping the set out of reach for the Cavaliers.
 
The Wildcats gained an early 4-2 advantage in the fourth set, but Concordia rallied back to take a 5-4 lead.  Central reclaimed the lead two points later, 6-5.  The Cavaliers found their rhythm with an 8-2 run, pulling ahead 17-12.  They held on to claim the set 25-17.
 
Central found a 5-2 lead in the fifth set with kills from Catie Fry, Jones, and Firethorne, as well as a solo block from Wheelhouse.
 
Fry registered a career high nine kills, along with her 55 assists. 
 
"Catie has good vision," Andaya said of his senior setter.  "Her job is to help our team score and when she sees opportunities I give her the freedom to attack when she sees an opening."
 
Concordia pulled within one after consecutive points, before the two sides traded six points.  With an 8-7 lead the Wildcats picked up four consecutive points, taking a 12-7 advantage.
 
The Cavaliers found five of the next six points, cutting the Wildcats led to just one, 13-12.  Fry sent a ball into the back corner, making the set 14-12, before Firethorne registered her 22^nd kill of the night to end the match.
 
"It's all about staying the course," Andaya said of his team's success in the fifth set.  "A lot of those matches its just a good matchup, if we aren't playing well we focus on what we need to fix and what has forced us to get to this point.  Tonight we had a problem solving their quick attack and in that fifth set we were able to make those adjustments."
 
The Wildcats have won their past five matches, including a 3-1 victory over rival Western Washington in Bellingham.
 
"We have to make sure we take one step at a time and if we can stay the course and we as a coaching staff do our job," Andaya added.  "To keep this run going we need to make sure we prepare well so we can keep on rolling."
 
Andaya is not the only Wildcat to note the importance of a step-by-step approach.
 
"We have been snowballing in a good way," Firethorne acknowledged.  "Western was a good win and we had to really grind it out this week after an emotional match and we just have to take it game by game from here."
 
Jones finished with 16 kills.  Wheelhouse added 10 kills, one solo block, and seven block assists.
 
The Wildcats will be back in action on Saturday (Oct. 31) in a GNAC matchup against Western Oregon University.  First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.