Match 13: Central Washington vs. Alaska Fairbanks
Thursday, Sept. 28 | 7:00 p.m. PST
Ellensburg, Wash. | Nicholson Pavilion
Stream:
Stretch Internet
Live Stats
Match 14: Central Washington vs. #21 Alaska Anchorage
Saturday, Sept. 30 | 7 p.m. PST
Ellensburg, Wash. | Nicholson Pavilion
Stream:
Stretch Internet
Live Stats
FIRST SERVE
The Central Washington Wildcats (8-4, 3-1) continues GNAC play this week, welcoming the University of Alaska Fairbanks (8-5, 1-3) this Thursday, Sept. 28 and the No. 21 University of Alaska Anchorage (9-4, 4-0) on Saturday, Sept. 30. First serve against the Nanooks and Seawolves is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST.
ABOUT THE WILDCATS
CWU is currently riding a three-match win streak. Last Saturday, the Wildcats swept Western Oregon University 3-0 thanks to 12 kills and a .647 hitting percentage from
Sabrina Wheelhouse. Earlier in the week, Central Washington bounced back from losing the first set against Concordia University (Ore.) to take home the 3-1 match victory.
The Wildcats enter the week ranked fourth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with a 3-1 conference record. CWU ranks first in blocks (2.89/set), third in opponent hitting percentage (.153), fourth in hitting percentage (.215) and fifth in kills (12.83/set).
CWU LEADERS
Junior
Shelby Mauritson leads the team and ranks sixth in the conference with 158 kills and a 3.43 kills per set average. She also ranks second on the team with 161 digs (3.50 digs/set).
Junior
Maggie McTaggart follows with 108 kills and ranks second on the team with 2.45 kills per set. Senior
Sabrina Wheelhouse has tallied 96 kills (2.09 kills/set) and ranks first on the team with a .353 hitting percentage. Wheelhouse also leads the team at the net with 72 total blocks (1.57 blocks/set), while
Bridgette Webb follows with 44 total blocks (0.96 blocks/set).
Sophomore
Niki Cook has tallied a team-high 261 assists and 5.67 assists per set average. Sophomore
Gabrielle Aihara has registered 233 assists and 5.07 assists per set average and leads the team with 16 service aces.
Leading the Wildcats in digs is sophomore libero
Kyla Morgan with a total of 215 (4.67 digs/set), which ranks seventh in the conference.
WHEELHOUSE EARNS CONFERENCE RECOGNITION
Central Washington middle blocker
Sabrina Wheelhouse was named this week's Great Northwest Athletic Conference Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week, the league office announced on Monday.
The Eugene, Ore., native totaled 20 kills, a .455 hitting percentage and 16 blocks to lead CWU to consecutive conference victories over Concordia University and Western Oregon University.
Against the Wolves, Wheelhouse tallied a season-high 12 kills, while hitting .647. She also committed just one attack error on 17 attempts and added four blocks to her stat line.
Against the Cavaliers, Wheelhouse posted her first double-digit block performance of the season, accounting for 12 of CWU's 17 blocks.
This marks the first GNAC weekly honor for Wheelhouse and the Wildcats this season.
WILDCATS RECEIVE VOTES IN LATEST AVCA POLL
Coming off a 2-0 week, the Central Washington Wildcats received 19 votes in the latest AVCA Top-25 Poll, which ranks tenth among teams that just missed making the top-25.
NCAA STATISTICAL LEADERS
CWU enters the week ranked first in the GNAC and second in the nation with 244 total blocks. The Wildcats also rank second in the nation with 2.89 blocks per set.
Wheelhouse ranks first in the GNAC and the nation in blocks per set (1.57), and first in the league and second in the nation in total blocks (72). Wheelhouse also ranks second in the GNAC with a .353 hitting percentage.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Alaska Fairbanks
The Nanooks split their two matches last week, losing to Seattle Pacific University in five sets before defeating Saint Martin's University in four. Alaska Fairbanks has a balanced offense with four players recording more than 100 kills this season. Sophomore Gabby Lerma leads the Nanooks with 124 kills (2.64 kills/set), followed by redshirt freshman Markie Miller with 118 (2.51 kills/set). Defensively, senior middle blocker Riley Podowicz leads the team with 27 blocks, while sophomore Jenna Hickel has registered 230 digs (4.79 digs/set). Senior Rachel Nichols dishes out 5.50 assists per set for Alaska Fairbanks, totaling 264 on the season.
Alaska Anchorage
Alaska Anchorage enters the week ranked 21st in the nation after receiving a total of 250 votes. The Seawolves are 9-4 on the season and have won their last five matches, including victories over GNAC opponents Alaska Fairbanks, Montana State Billings, Saint Martin's and Seattle Pacific. Chrisalyn Johnson registers 2.89 kills per set and Madison Fisher dishes out 5.28 assists per set for the Seawolves offense. Defensively, Tara Melton totals 1.15 blocks per set and Keala, Kaio-Perez chips in 4.75 digs per set while leading the conference with 28 service aces. Anchorage tops the GNAC in opponent hitting percentage (.148) and service aces (108).
-CWU-
