ROMEOVILLE, Ill. (Sept. 2) – The Central Washington University volleyball team fell to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers in their second match of the Flyer Festival, 1-3.  Central is now 0-2 on the season.
 
"We played a little bit better," Head Coach Mario Andaya "We are committing too many errors.  We have talented kids, but we just haven't quite put it together.  When we do we look really good." 
 
The first set was tightly contested for the second straight match for the Wildcats.  With an 8-8 score, the Wildcats strung together a four-point run for a 12-8 lead.  Kills by Shelby Mauritson and Kiah Jones bookended the run.
 
Parkside pulled within five twice after the run, but couldn't find their way back into the opening set.  Back-to-back kills by Madison Weg and Jones closed out the first set in Central's favor, 25-17.
 
Jones finished with 14 kills and a hitting efficiency of .333.  Weg totaled 13 kills and a hitting efficiency of .346.
 
A one-point see-saw battle opened the second set, neither team finding a way to break the gridlock, until the Rangers strung together three consecutive points for a 10-7 lead.
 
The Wildcats pulled within one with kills from Jones and Sabrina Wheelhouse at 10-11.  Central kept the set within three, levelling the score three times before the set's end.  A service ace by Nikole Cook gave brought the Wildcats level at 22-22, but two consecutive Ranger points put Parkside at set point.  Weg notched a kill, but Lexi Calloway put the second set away for Parkside 25-23.
 
Central held a small lead in the third set until Rebecca Roembke brought it back to even with a kill at 8-8.  Another tightly fought set ensued, but the Rangers clung to the lead.  The Wildcats were able to stay close, keeping the deficit within four. 
 
A late kill by Jordan Deming put the Wildcats down one at 21-22, but the Rangers won the next four points for a 25-22 set victory.
 
The Wildcats pulled out to a quick 4-1 lead with kills from Mauritson, Weg, and Deming, as well as a service ace from Wheelhouse.  A three-point run by UW-Parkside evened the set, 4-4.
 
The lead exchanged hands, jumping from bench to bench, until Parkside strung together five consecutive points for a 16-11 lead. 
 
Central pulled within two twice, once at 23-21 on a kill by Deming, and again at 24-22 on a kill by Jones.  Calloway secured the win for Parkside with a kill 25-22.
 
"We need to eliminate the critical errors and we will be okay," Andaya added.  "It's a learning curve that we are in right now and I am pretty encouraged in some of the stuff I'm seeing.  When we are playing well with that confidence we are tough to handle." 
 
The Wildcats are back in action tomorrow (Sept. 3) for day two of the Flyer Classic.  They take on Augustana (SD) at 12:30 p.m. PDT and Lewis University at 5:30 p.m. PDT.