Ellensburg, Wash –On a night when four Central Washington University volleyball seniors played their final home match in Nicholson Pavilion, the Wildcats toppled the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-12) on Saturday night. 
 
Befofe the game began, Sarah Joffs, Kayce O'Brien, Shelby Mauritson and Madison Weg were honored for the contributions to the CWU volleyball program. O'Brien was a standout for the Wildcats, racking up 11 digs and a service ace. 
 
"It's always fun to end the season at home with senior night," head coach Mario Andaya said. "It was a pretty special night. The seniors stepped up. Kaycee has been waiting for her turn. She's been in the program for four years, preparing every day. When she gets her chance, she's an impact player for us. She's proved that tonight."
 
Throughout the contest, the Wildcats (22-5, 16-4) gained two key advantages over the Nanooks (14-13, 12-8). The first came from behind the service line. The Wildcats out-served the Nanooks 4-1. The other came at the net. The Wildcats blocked 11 of the Nanooks attacks, five more than their opponent. Their efforts at the net helped suppress the Nanook offense to a .145 hitting percentage. 
 
The first set opened with an 8-2 run in favor of the Wildcats. Mauritson and Bridgette Webb were key during that run. Mauritson had the first two kills of the contest, followed by another and a service ace later in the run. Webb had two kills in that run. Later, the Wildcats led 10-9 before using another massive run.  Joffs started a 15-5 run that closed out the first set 25-15 in favor of the Wildcats. 
 
The second set saw an 11-9 advantage in favor of the Nanooks in the early stages. An emphatic kill from Makala Swart helped the Wildcat offense find its rhythm. They'd go on a 12-5 run that gave them a five-point lead in the waning moments of the set. Another 4-1 run helped the Wildcats close out the set, as Gabrielle Aihara had a hand in each of the final four points with three assists and one ace. 
 
The third set was also evenly contested. A Mauritson kill gave the Wildcats a 16-13 lead when the Nanooks used a timeout. They charged back with a 4-1 run, tying the game at 17. The Wildcats used a timeout. It propelled the Wildcats to an 8-4 run, capped by a kill from Weg. 
 
The Wildcats haven't dropped a match since October 13. The Wildcats won their eighth-consecutive match with their seventh-straight sweep on Saturday night.  
 
"We're keeping it close, but there has to be a process to that," Andaya said. "We have to pass well, get over mistakes and do what we do best. If we can focus on what we do best, then we like our chances. If the other team continues to do well, then we're okay with that. We've continued to find our best stuff and it's working out for us." 
 
The Wildcats conclude the regular season with a second-place finish in Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings.