Central Washington University Athletics

Match 17: Central Washington vs. #12 Northwest Nazarene
Tuesday, Oct. 10 | 7:00 p.m. PST
Ellensburg, Wash. | Nicholson Pavilion
Stream: Stretch Internet
Live Stats
 
FIRST SERVE
The Central Washington University women's volleyball team (11-5, 6-2 GNAC) continue Great Northwest Athletic Conference play this week, hosting No. 12-ranked Northwest Nazarene (16-0, 8-0 GNAC) this Tuesday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. in Nicholson Pavilion.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Northwest Nazarene Crusaders
NNU moved to 16-0 on the season and 8-0 in GNAC play after picking up a pair of road victories against Seattle Pacific and Saint Martin's University last week. The Crusaders won a hard fought five-set battle (25-17, 19-25, 22-25, 25-19, 15-8) against the Falcons Thursday evening at Royal Brougham Pavilion in Seattle, Wash. Mari Thomas grabbed a double-double with 11 kills and 13 digs against SPU and added five blocks. Kendra Bodine and Madie Farrell combined for 43 kills to help NNU earn a four-set victory over Saint Martin's (25-20, 21-25, 25-16, 25-19) Saturday evening. Bodine finished with a 23 kill-20 dig double-double and Farrell had 20 kills and four blocks as the Crusaders increased their school-record winning streak to 16.
 
Farrell currently tops the GNAC in hitting percentage (.431) and ranks second in the conference behind Bodine (4.24) in kills per set. Hailey Cook also leads the conference in assists, dishing out and average of 11.57 per set. As a team, the Crusaders rank first in hitting efficiency (.248) and assists (787) and ranks second in total kills (823) and digs (1098).
 
LAST TIME OUT
CWU split their two GNAC matches last week, falling to Saint Martin's University in five sets (23-23, 19-25, 25-19, 19-25, 9-15) and then earning a four-set victory over Seattle Pacific University (25-23, 21-25, 25-23, 25-17).
 
The opening frame against the Saints featured five ties and three lead changes as the Wildcats battled back from a six-point deficit (11-16) to earn the set victory, 25-23. SMU came back to notch the match 1-1 after taking the second set, 25-19. The Wildcats captured the third set, but the Saints countered with wins in sets four and five to take the match.
 
The Wildcats registered its sixth conference victory against Seattle Pacific, downing the Falcons in four sets on Saturday. Junior Shelby Mauritson led the charge notching her 15th double-digit kill total of the season with 14 and sophomore Bridgette Webb chipped in with a season-high .476 hitting effort and 13 kills. Central Washington led SPU in hitting percentage (.177-.124), kills (56-48), and total blocks (15-10).
 
CWU LEADERS
Junior Shelby Mauritson leads the team and ranks seventh in the conference with 218 kills and a 3.46 kills per set average. She also ranks second on the team and 15th in the conference with 216 digs (3.43 digs/set).
 
Junior Maggie McTaggart follows with 130 kills and ranks second on the team with 2.24 kills per set. Senior Sabrina Wheelhouse has tallied 128 kills (2.03 kills/set) and ranks first on the team and second in the conference with a .337 hitting percentage. Wheelhouse also leads the team at the net with 110 total blocks (1.75 blocks/set), while Sarah Joffs follows with 64 total blocks (1.25 blocks/set).
 
Sophomore Niki Cook has tallied a team-high 350 assists and 5.56 assists per set average. Sophomore Gabrielle Aihara has registered 311 assists and a 4.94 assists per set average and leads the team with 18 service aces.
 
Leading the Wildcats in digs is sophomore libero Kyla Morgan with a total of 308 (4.89 digs/set), which ranks fifth in the conference.
 
NCAA STATISTICAL LEADERS
 
CWU enters the week ranked first in the GNAC and nation with 356 total blocks and 3.08 blocks per set.
 
Wheelhouse ranks first in the GNAC and the nation in blocks per set (1.75) and total blocks (110). Wheelhouse also ranks second in the GNAC with a .337 hitting percentage.
 
-CWU-