ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University volleyball team returns to Nicholson Pavilion as they host the University of Alaska Fairbanks on Thursday for a match at 7 p.m. PT. 
 
GAME INFORMATION
Alaska Fairbanks vs. Wildcats
Thursday | 7 p.m. PT
Nicholson Pavilion | Ellensburg, Wash.  
 
WILDCATS REACHING MILESTONES
Gabrielle Aihara entered last Saturday's match just nine assists away from reaching 3,000 assists for her career. Aihara reached the milestone on the first point in the second set. The assist came on a kill from Lexi Schamadan. Aihara finished the match with 37 assists. She passed Western Oregon's Amy Herron (2006-09) for 17^th all-time on the GNAC list. Aihara left the match with 3,028 career assists, 11 more than Herron.

Another Wildcat reached a milestone during Saturday's match against the Falcons. Bridgette Webb was nine kills short of 600 for her career. During the fourth set, Webb smashed home her ninth kill. Webb would finish the game with 11 kills.

LAST TIME OUT
The Central Washington University volleyball team traveled to Lacey, Wash. for a match against Saint Martin's. The Wildcats squandered the Saints 3-0 (25-12, 25-13, 25-16) last Thursday. Then on Saturday, the Seattle Pacific fought back into a match they trailed 2-0 to pick up a 3-2 (20-25, 24-26, 25-21, 25-22, 18-16) win over the Wildcats. 

Makala Swart led everyone with 10 kills in the contest against the Saints. She'd complete the double-double by adding 10 digs. Aihara had the only other double-double for the Wildcats. Aihara achieved the mark with match-high 15 assists while adding 12 digs to the Wildcats defensive effort. 
 
Schamadan, Julia Mellander, Webb, Ashley Kaufman and Diana Fa'amausili finished the day with five kills each as the Wildcats used a balance offense to get the better of the Saints. Kaufman added four service aces and 12 digs to a solid night's work. Fa'amausili made the most of her attacks, ending the match with a .444 hitting percentage. 
 
Defensively, the Wildcats suppressed the Saints to a -.036 hitting percentage for the match. The Wildcats had nine total blocks while taking advantage of 23 attack errors from the Saints. Kyla Morgan led the way with 19 digs. Mellander and Fa'amausili added six total blocks to their performances. 
 
Swart was stellar for the Wildcats last Saturday. She led the game with 20 kills on a .246 hitting percentage. The junior from Naches Valley, Wash. added 18 digs to complete the double-double. Kaufman also had a double-double for the Wildcats. Kaufman had an outstanding 20 digs while adding 10 kills to the Wildcat offense. 
 
Kyla Morgan led the team with 25 digs on the afternoon. Aihara added 17 digs to a memorable day. Mellander also helped the defensive efforts with six total blocks. Fa'amausili added four total blocks of her own, including one solo block. 

WILDCATS IN THE GNAC
The Wildcats find themselves in the top half of the conference in a handful statistics. The Wildcats remain fourth in conference by keeping opponents to a .200 hitting percentage. The team kept the Saints in the negative for hitting percentage last Thursday. The Wildcats are tied for third in blocks by averaging 2.20 per set. The team ranks third with 17.95 digs per set.

The defensive is fueled by performances in reception and at the net. Morgan leads the conference with 5.67 digs per set. She also ranks 18^th in the country in the same category. Mellander ranks fourth in conference with 1.20 blocks per set. Mellander's totals are 25^th best in the country. Fa'amausili ranks 10^th in blocks with .95 per set. 
 
Experienced players highlight the offensive standouts for the Wildcats. Aihara's 9.17 assists per set is the seventh best in conference. Swart ranks fourth in conference with 3.41 kills per set. The team also ranks third in assists (12.25) and kills (13.13) per set. 
 
SCOUTING ALASKA FAIRBANKS 
The Nanooks roll into town with a 10-10 record and have gone 7-5 in conference play. The Nanooks record has them tied with the Wildcats for fourth place overall in the GNAC. The Nanooks are best known for their blocking ability. They're tied with the Wildcats with a third-best 2.20 blocks per set in conference. 
 
Recently, the Nanooks snapped a four-game losing streak in their last match. They outlasted Montana State University Billings 3-2 (25-20, 16-25, 21-25, 25-12, 15-11) last Saturday. The Nanooks' signature win came against Alaska Anchorage on Sept. 24. The Nanooks downed their in-state rivals 3-1 (25-21, 19-25, 25-22, 25-22). 
 
Three Nanooks power the team's offense in Lahra Weber, AveRee Reynolds and Kim Wong. Lahra leads the club with 169 kills over 67 sets played. She's averaged 2.52 kills per set. Close behind her is Reynolds. She's played as many sets and has smashed home 159 kills on the season. Wong is averaging 2.50 kills per set. 
 
Cate Whiting is the team's go to setter. She's racked up 614 assists over 67 sets played for an average of 9.16 assists per set. Whiting ranks sixth in conference in assists per set. On Oct. 1, Whiting was named American Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Week. Whiting paced the Nanooks to a pair of come-from-behind victories with totals of 77 assists, 11 kills, eight aces, 21 digs and five blocks in two matches. She averaged 8.56 assists and 0.89 aces per set in nine sets.
 
Wong is also a threat at the net. She leads the club with 61 total blocks and is averaging .98 blocks per set. The average is good enough for sixth best in conference. Emily Moorehead is also a threat to block an attack. She's had 55 total blocks this season. Makena Overbey leads the team with 236 digs and is averaging 3.52 digs per set. 
 
The last time these two teams met was on Oct. 5. The Nanooks outlasted the Wildcats in 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 21-25, 25-18, 15-9). 
 
The Wildcats finished the match with four players in double figure kills. Swart led the Wildcats with 15 kills. She had a double-double for the Wildcats with 12 digs. Mellander had a strong offensive night, racking up 11 kills. Fa'amausili also added 11 kills to the Wildcat attack. Webb came through with 10 kills on a .250 hitting percentage. 
 
Aihara kept the Wildcat offense in rhythm, dishing out 48 assists on the afternoon. Aihara added 11 digs for a double-double. Morgan led the Wildcats with 29 digs. Sydney Remsberg chipped in with 10 digs of her own. 

SERIES HISTORY
The Wildcats are 28-12 all-time against the Nanooks. Entering the 2019 season, the Wildcats were riding a 17-game winning streak against the Nanooks that began in November of 2010. The Nanooks got the better of the Wildcats on Oct. 5, outlasting the team 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 21-25, 25-18, 15-9). History favors the Wildcats when they host the Nanooks. Since 2002, they've gone 16-1 when the Nanooks enter Nicholson Pavilion.