ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University volleyball team completed the weekend sweep, knocking off Concordia (Ore.) 3-0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-14) on Saturday inside Nicholson Pavilion. 
 
The Wildcats (11-7, 6-4 GNAC) put together a strong defensive effort against the Cavaliers (7-10, 5-5 GNAC). The Wildcats held the Cavaliers to a .136 hitting percentage. The visitors had just 31 kills in the contest. Offensively, the Wildcats gained a massive advantage from behind the service line. The team had seven aces to none from the Cavaliers. The Wildcats were also able to smash home 44 kills on a .238 hitting percentage for the match. 
 
"I thought we did a good job of playing good, fundamental volleyball," CWU Head Coach Mario Andaya said. "Concordia is pretty straight forward, but are very good at what they do. They keep the ball in play, keep a lot of pressure on you defensively and their block is solid. Their block is solid and they are well-coached on that side. We didn't crack, we stayed the course and tried to be aggressive and it worked out for us."
 
The Wildcats opened the match with a strong 8-4 run over the Cavaliers. Lexi Schamadan fueled there run with three kills during that span. The teams traded points as the Wildcats landed on a 13-10 lead. Ashley Kaufman had two consecutive kills that were followed by a 12-3 run. The run clinched the opening set for the Wildcats as they took it 25-13. 
 
Another early run aided the Wildcats in creating separation from the Cavaliers in the second set. The team opened by jumping out to an 8-3 lead. Makala Swart added two kills, while Sydney Remsberg had an ace during that time. Again, the Cavaliers were able to chip into the Wildcats lead as they led 14-12. 
 
Momentum swung in favor the Cavaliers. They went on to put together a 7-2 run that gave them a 19-16 lead. The Wildcats answered when Kaufman jump-started another run. Her kill led to a 9-2, set clinching run. Kaufman had three kills during that span as the Wildcats took the set 25-21 and secured a 2-0 match lead. 
 
The third set began with even action as the two teams landed on a 7-7 tied. Diana Fa'amausili crushed two straight kills that led to an 11-3 run. The run boosted the Wildcats to an 18-10. More point trading took place before the score landed on 23-14. Remsberg used a quick attack that pushjed the score to 24-14. Kaufman capped the night with a powerful kill that gave the Wildcats a 25-14 set win and a 3-0 match win. 
 
"I really liked our passing," Coach Andaya added "I thought Makala [Swart], Kyla [Morgan] and Ashley [Kaufman] worked well as a group. They did their best to get us in a good situation offensively. Defensively, we really made some good plays out of chaotic situations." 
 
Kaufman was electric for the Wildcats on Saturday. The freshman out of Idaho led the Wildcats with 10 kills on an impressive .292 hitting percentage. Kaufman added two service aces. She completed the double-double by chipping in 13 digs, second most on the team for the match. 
 
Bridgette Webb, Swart and Schamadan tied with the second most kills on the team with eight. Webb obtained her eight kills on a .348 hitting percentage. Swart added seven digs and two assisted blocks to eight kills. Schamadan finished the night with a block and two digs to go along with her kill total. 
 
Aihara and Remsberg ran a smooth offense. Aihara led everyone with 25 assists on the evening. Remberg had 12 assists and added two service aces and a kill. Kyla Morgan led the game with 22 digs. 
 
"I think we played great," Webb said. "We came into the game knowing that Concordia is a great team. We knew when to tip and where to hit the ball. We knew we needed to extend rallies because they are very good diggers. We did a great job at covering and keeping at them." 
 
The Wildcats completed the weekend sweep, knocking off Western Oregon last Thursday. The Wildcats have now won three consecutive matches, all of which coming in straight sets. 
 
"Our last win feels like it was a while ago because we are so focused on what is ahead of us," Coach Andaya stated. "Looking back at the weekend, it was solid. I really liked how we did some things. Both teams came here playing really well so it's nice to get them on our home court and take care of business."
 
The Wildcats hit the road next weekend. They take on Saint Martin's at 7 p.m. on Oct. 24 in Lacey, Wash.