FAIRBANKS, Alaska- The No. 25-ranked Central Washington Wildcats (16-6, 11-3 GNAC) downed the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks (10-12, 3-10 GNAC) in five sets (17-25, 18-25, 25-16, 25-17, 15-9) Saturday night at the Alaska Airlines Court in Fairbanks, Alaska.
 
Two Wildcats recorded double-digit kills on the evening with Shelby Mauritson recording 16 kills and Maggie McTaggart notching 14 kills. Mauritson also tallied 16 digs for her 15th double-double of the season.
 
Sophomore Niki Cook closed out the match with 23 assists and 8 digs. Gabrielle Aihara dished out 20 assists of her own and recorded five digs. Kyla Morgan registered 34 digs on the evening.
 
The Wildcats out-hit the competition for the 18th time this season, recording a .186 hitting percentage and yielding a .176 clip from the Nanooks. The Wildcats also led the Nanooks in digs (84 to 74).
 
The Wildcats jumped out to a quick start in Fairbanks, winning five of the first seven points. CWU tallied four kills to take the early lead, 5-2. Alaska Fairbanks countered with an 8-2 run to take a 10-7 lead. Trailing the Nanooks 22-16, CWU captured back-to-back points to close the scoring margin to four, but a pair of kills by Lahra Weber would give the Nanooks the first set, 25-18. 
 
The Nanooks took a 5-1 lead to start the second frame. The Wildcats managed to get within two (11-9), but failed to capture the lead for the entirety of the set. A CWU attack error closed out the set, 25-18, in favor of the Alaska Fairbanks.
 
The third set featured three ties and one lead change. A CWU 3-1 run increased Central Washington's lead to 15-10, and the Wildcats extended their lead to eight (23-15). A kill by Mauritson and an UAF attack error closed out the set, 25-16.
 
Alaska Fairbanks stormed out to a 4-2 lead in the fourth frame, but the Wildcats notched the set 6-6 thanks to a kill by Bridgette Webb. The Wildcats outhit UAF .219 to .179 in the frame to breeze to a 25-17 victory.
 
The final set was tightly contested with six ties and three lead changes. Both teams virtually traded points through the first half of the set, but a 4-0 run by the Wildcats gave them a 13-8 lead. Back-to-back attack errors by the Nanooks allowed CWU to capture the set 15-9 and the match 3-2.
 
The Wildcats return to the friendly confines of Nicholson Pavilion next Thursday, Nov. 2, to host Seattle Pacific University. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST.
 
-CWU-