SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – The Central Washington University volleyball team had a tall task to overcome at the NCAA West Regionals when they took on No. 1 CSU San Bernardino. The Wildcats played the best team in the country tough, but fell 3-0 (19-25, 19-25, 21-25) to the Coyotes.
 
The Wildcats (18-11) were tasked with trying to overcome the physicality of the Coyotes (28-0). The Coyotes were able to put up 16 total blocks to the just two from the Wildcats. The led to struggles offensively for the Wildcats, as the team had just 34 kills on a .087 hitting percentage for the match. 
 
"Our job was to make sure that we scored points and didn't hit the ball out of bounds," CWU Head Coach Mario Andaya said. "Bernardino's job was to make sure they played defense. We weren't winging the ball out of bounds. We were trying to score. We were intentional. I'm super proud of that. I'd take 16 block errors over 16 attack errors any day. We were going for it. They were a better blocking team tonight and we have no problem with that." 
 
The Wildcats were in control of the first set early. The opened the match with an 8-5 run over the Coyotes. Leanna Shymanski had two kills during that stretch. The Wildcats held an 8-6 lead before going on another run. This time, it was a 7-3. Ashley Kaufman drove the offense during that stretch with two kills. The run gave the Wildcats a 15-9 lead. 
 
The Coyotes would storm back into the set with a 9-2 run. The run put them up 18-17. After a kill from Bridgette Webb, the Coyotes scored six unanswered points, putting them up 24-18. The Coyotes would find the final point they needed to take the set 25-19. 
 
The Wildcats had more kills (13) than the Coyotes (12) in the opening set, but attack errors proved costly. The Wildcats had 11 attack errors in the opening frame. The Coyotes physicality played a role in the Wildcat struggles. The Coyotes finished the opening set with eight total blocks. The Coyotes found their rhythm in the late stages of the first set. They'd finish the opening set with .313 hitting percentage.
 
"They put up a really good block," Webb said. "I felt like we did try and find ways to get around it. We also found ways to extend rallies. We did adjust pretty well to them."  
 
The second set was evenly played as the score landed 5-4 in favor of the Wildcats. The Coyotes put together a 6-1 run that put them up 10-6. The Wildcats answered with a 6-2 run that evened the set at 12. Kaufman, Lexi Schamadan and Laynie Erickson all had kills during that stretch. 
 
Later in the set, the Wildcats held a slim 16-15 lead. CSUSB went on a 10-3 run to close out the set. The Coyotes took the second set 25-19 and a 2-0 match lead. 
 
Statistics from the second set were similar to the first set. The Wildcats had a .063 hitting percentage. The Coyotes had 13 kills and hit .250 in the set. 
 
The third set featured more even action. The Wildcats trailed 7-4 before scoring three straight points to knot the set at seven. The score was tied at eight when the Coyotes went on a 6-1 run that gave them a 14-9 lead.
 
Later in the set, the Coyotes led 17-11 when the Wildcats attempted to claw their way back into the set. They'd go on a 7-3 run that pulled them to within two. The Coyotes would go on to close out the set, taking it 25-21 and the match 3-0. 
 
The Wildcats had their best offensive performance in the final set. The team hit .156 and converted 10 kills. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, the Coyotes also had their best offensive set in what would prove to be the final frame. They hammered home 17 kills on a .412 hitting percentage. 
 
"I thought we did a fantastic job of competing," Coach Andaya said. "It was a tall-order to come in and play the top team in the country. It's always an honor to play these guys. I was super proud of the way we competed and prepared for this. We've done a lot of things throughout the year to get to this point and to compete the way we did, I'm super proud."  
 
Kaufman led the Wildcats with 11 kills. She added eight digs, amounting to a solid showing in her first NCAA Regional appearance. Webb was the only other Wildcat to finish the match in double-figures. She had 10 kills on a .261 hitting percentage. Isabelle Jacob, Schamadan, Erickson and Sierra Sharma chipped in two kills apiece to the Wildcat attack. 
 
Gabrielle Aihara led the squad with 26 assists. Aihara was strong from behind the service line, putting up two aces for the Wildcats. Aihara also tied for a team-high with 10 digs. Kyla Morgan was the other Wildcat with 10 digs. 
 
The loss ended the Wildcats 2019 campaign. Several accolades were obtained by a handful of Wildcats. The team had four players earn All-Conference honors. Eight student-athletes made the GNAC All-Academic team. Two players added All-Region awards to their resume. The team tied for third in the conference standings and appeared in the programs eighth consecutive NCAA Tournament.  
 
"It's hard. I don't want to lose them," Coach Andaya said of his senior class. "They just keep us going. They've been through so much. They raised the bar for the program every year that they were here. All of them made All-Conference teams. Two of them earned All-American honors. It's going to be tough to lose them for sure."