ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Nov. 11) – The Central Washington University volleyball team closed out its home finale in style, sweeping Montana State University Billings, 3-0 (25-14, 25-23, 25-17), on Senior Night.
 
Seniors Sarah Joffs and Sabrina Wheelhouse combined for 15 kills and six blocks.
 
"They played great," CWU Head Coach Mario Andaya said of his seniors.  "I think there's a lot that goes into these nights, with the expectations and the peak of their career at home.  They did a great job of settling in and having great games for us.  Sarah was incredible, best game of her career I'd say.  Sabs was great, even with them trying to stay away from her."
 
The Wildcats improve to 19-7 overall and 14-4 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.  The Yellowjackets fall to 8-20 overall and 4-14 in conference competition.
 
Central gained points in bunches during the first set, rolling out to a 6-1 advantage early.  The Wildcats then extended their lead to 12-3, before closing the opening set 25-14.
 
The second set was a battle for both sides.  The set remained tight as both the Wildcats and Yellowjackets looked for an opportunity to go on a run.  The Wildcats grabbed a 14-10 lead midway through the set, but a four point run from Billings erased the advantage and brought the teams back level. 
 
Billings staked out a 22-19 lead at which time Andaya called a timeout.  The Wildcats responded by claiming the next four points for a 23-22 advantage.  They closed the set 25-23 for a 2-0 lead.
 
The Yellowjackets again held an early lead at 7-5, but again the Wildcats closed the gap.  With the score tied at 14-14, the Wildcats went on a 6-0 run before the Yellowjackets could halt their offense.  The halt was short lived, as Central claimed five of the next seven points to complete the sweep.
 
"That's going to happen," Andaya said in regards to having to battle back.  "Billings, to their credit, they aren't done playing.  They did some nice things out of system that caught us off guard.  We did a much better job in set three responding to it.  It's a good match for us."
 
The Wildcats close out the 2017 regular season on the road against Simon Fraser and Western Washington next week.