Central Washington University Athletics

Match 19: Central Washington vs. Western Oregon
Thursday, Oct. 19 | 7:00 p.m. PST
Ellensburg, Wash. | Nicholson Pavilion
Stream: Stretch Internet
Live Stats
 
Match 20: Central Washington vs. Concordia (Ore.)
Saturday, Oct. 21 | 7:00 p.m. PST
Ellensburg, Wash. | Nicholson Pavilion
Stream: Stretch Internet
Live Stats
 
FIRST SERVE
The Central Washington University women's volleyball team (13-5, 8-2 GNAC) return home to the friendly confines of Nicholson Pavilion this week to host a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference foes when they take on Western Oregon University (6-11, 2-8 GNAC) and Concordia University (9-8, 4-6 GNAC). The Wildcats and Wolves are set to go head-to-head this Thursday, Oct. 19, with a first serve set for 7 p.m. PST. The Wildcats and Cavaliers will face on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
WOU Wolves
Western Oregon lost both of their matches last week against Alaska Fairbanks (1-3) and Alaska Anchorage (1-3). The Wolves have lost eight of their last nine matches, all of which were against Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponents.
 
Alisha Bettinson leads the Wolves' offense and ranks sixth in the conference with 231 kills on the season, which is good for a 3.67 kills-per-set average. Sydney Blankinship has tallied 98 kills, and ranks eighth in the GNAC with a .266 hitting percentage. Leila Holt ranks eighth in the GNAC in assists-per-set and runs the WOU offense, totaling 6.67 assists per set. Defensively for the Wolves, Mackenzie Bowen ranks 11th in the conference in digs-per-set and Libbie Hoene ranks 15th. Bowen tallies 3.98 digs/set, while Hoene totals 3.47.
 
CU Cavaliers
Concordia struggled in the early goings of GNAC play, losing five of their first six conference matches. Since then, however, the Cavaliers have won three of their last four, with victories over Western Oregon, Montana State Billings and Alaska Fairbanks. Last weekend, CU downed Alaska Fairbanks in four sets but fell to Alaska Anchorage in five sets.
 
Lindsey Dorsey leads the Cavalier offense with her 3.54 kills-per-set average, while Colby Barnette adds in 2.84 kills and 1.10 blocks-per-set for CU. Dorsey also ranks third in the conference with 24 service aces this season. Michele Brown runs the offense and ranks third in the GNAC with 10.44 assists-per-set. Anna Dols leads the CU defense with 249 digs on the season (3.95 digs/set).
 
WILDCATS SWEEP GNAC WEEKLY AWARDS
The Central Washington University volleyball team upset then-undefeated No. 12 Northwest Nazarene and have won eight of their last nine matches to earn the GNAC/Red Lion Team of the Week award.
 
Junior outside hitter Shelby Mauritson was named the GNAC's Offensive Player of the Week for her performance last week. Mauritson led the Wildcats with 30 kills, a .272 hitting percentage, seven blocks and two aces in a pair of victories. She finished with a double-double of 12 kills and 22 digs to go along with two blocks in the five-set win over No. 10 Northwest Nazarene on Tuesday. Mauritson led the Wildcats with 16 kills to go along with six digs and five blocks in Thursday's three-set sweep of Montana State Billings.
 
Senior Sabrina Wheelhouse picked up her second GNAC weekly honor of the season, earning Defensive Player of the Week. The Division II leader in blocks added 13 to her total to go along with 19 kills in two wins. She finished with eight blocks, 13 kills, a .440 hitting percentage and an ace in Tuesday's win over Northwest Nazarene and added six kills and five blocks in Thursday's three-set sweep of Montana State Billings.

CWU LEADERS
Mauritson leads the team and ranks seventh in the conference with 248 kills and a 3.49 kills per set average. She also ranks second on the team and 17th in the conference with 244 digs (3.44 digs/set).
 
Wheelhouse follows with 130 kills and ranks first on the team and third in the conference with a .347 hitting percentage. Wheelhouse also leads the team at the net with 123 total blocks (1.73 blocks/set), while Sarah Joffs follows with 69 total blocks (1.17 blocks/set).
 
Sophomore Niki Cook has tallied a team-high 394 assists and 5.55 assists per set average. Sophomore Gabrielle Aihara has registered 355 assists and a 5.00 assists per set average and leads the team with 19 service aces.
 
Leading the Wildcats in digs is sophomore libero Kyla Morgan with a total of 344 (4.85 digs/set), which ranks fourth in the conference.
 
POLL TALK
As of Monday, the Wildcats has received votes for top-25 consideration in all seven American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II Coaches Polls this season. After winning eight of its last nine contests, the Wildcats lead all teams receiving votes with 52. The Wildcats lead the GNAC with 3.03 blocks per set and are holding opponents to a league-leading .148 hitting percentage. Wheelhouse is ranked first in Division II with 105 block assists and 1.73 blocks per set.
 
LEADERS OF THE GNAC
CWU continues to lead the conference in blocks (3.03 avg/set) and opponent hitting percentage (.148). Individually, Wheelhouse leads the league with 123 blocks (1.73/set) and ranks third with a .347 hitting percentage. Sarah Joffs is sixth in the conference with a total of 69 blocks. Shelby Mauritson ranks seventh in kills-per-set with 3.49 and Kyla Morgan ranks fourth with 4.85 digs-per-set.
 
WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
Before Thursday's match against WOU, CWU Athletics will be sponsoring a Halloween Trunk or Treat event. The event will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Upper Gym of Nicholson Pavilion and CWU Athletics encourages everyone to come dressed up and ready to trick or treat. Anyone wearing a costume will receive free entrance into the volleyball match at 7 p.m. In addition, donations of canned food items will be accepted to help support local food banks.  
 
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