ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University volleyball team plays its first game of the 2019 season inside Nicholson Pavilion this Thursday when they host Seattle Pacific at 7 p.m. PT. 
 
GAME INFORMATION
Seattle Pacific at Wildcats
Thursday | 7 p.m.
Nicholson Pavilion | Ellensburg, Wash. 
 
QUOTABLE 
"It's a significant week for the team," CWU Head Coach Mario Andaya said. "We finally get to be home for a full week, start classes, and have our first home matches. The team will get to enjoy being a student this week so it will be a nice change of pace. With that said, we have two big conference matches we have to prepare for. SPU has some new faces, but good experience as well. If we can work on our side of the net efficiently, we will be able to focus on the challenges SPU will bring. Our goal is to improve on some key areas to play more efficiently than we did this past weekend." 
 
LAST TIME OUT
Throughout the contest against Simon Fraser, the Wildcats completed several comebacks to beat the Clan 3-2 (25-20, 17-25, 29-31, 25-11, 15-10) last Thursday. Ashley Kaufman and Makala Swart finished the game with double-doubles for the Wildcats. Kaufman led the team with 18 kills while adding 13 digs. Swart smashed home 15 kills with 12 digs. Diana Fa'amausili added nine kills, Julia Mellander had eight kills and Bridgette Webb finished with seven kills. Gabrielle Aihara ran a smooth offense, dishing out 50 assists over the five sets. 

The Wildcat defense was stout throughout the entire contest. The Wildcats put together 14 total blocks led by Mellander who had team's only solo block while recording eight assisted blocks. Fa'amausili had six assisted blocks and Webb had five assisted blocks. Kyla Morgan led the squad with 34 digs. Sydney Remsberg racked up 17 digs while Aihara added 15 digs. 

The Wildcats renewed their rivalry with No. 2 Western Washington last Saturday night. The opening round of the 2019 season series belonged to the Vikings, as the Wildcats fell 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-18). Swart finished the match tied for a game-high 14 kills. Swart finished the night with a double-double by digging up 10 Viking attacks. Mellander had a strong offensive performance late. She added six kills on a .385 hitting percentage. Webb and Kaufman added six kills each. Aihara had 28 assists on the evening. The Wildcat defense faced a tough task trying to keep the conference's best offense in check. Morgan led the squad with 12 digs. 

 WILDCATS IN THE GNAC
CWU is third in the conference in opponent hitting percentage, holding competition to a .176 hitting percentage. The team ranks third in conference with 11.68 assists per set and third in kills with 12.62 per set. The Wildcats have blocked the fourth most attacks in conference with 2.28 blocks per set. The team ranks second with 17.50 digs per set. 
 
Individual performances have also sent a handful of Wildcats to the top of the charts Aihara's 9.85 assists per set is the third best in conference. Swart ranks seventh in conference with 3.32 kills per set. Mellander ranks second in conference with 1.27 blocks per set. Fa'amausili ranks fourth in blocks with 1.0 per set. Morgan ranks second in digs per set with 5.75. 
 
SCOUTING SEATTLE PACIFIC 
After trying for sixth in the 2018 season standings, the Falcons were picked to finish sixth in the 2019 GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll. The team lost six of their first eight matches but went on to rebound and win five of their last six GNAC contests. The team's signature win came on the road against Alaska Anchorage, as they upset the Seawolves on Nov. 1. Seattle Pacific finished the season averaging 12.23 kills per set and was fourth in the GNAC with 2.20 blocks per set.

The 2019 season has yielded another slow start for the Falcons. The team opened their season at the Seaside Invitational in San Diego, Calif. The Falcons swept Cal State East Bay to open the four-game tournament, but failed to pick up a match against another team. The following weekend, the team played in the DII West Region Showcase at the Pomona, Calif. site. The Falcons took out Cal Poly Pomona in five sets and beat Chaminade in four sets to go 2-2 during that tournament. Last weekend, the Falcons opened Great Northwest Athletic Conference at home. They hosted Alaska Anchorage last Thursday and Alaska Fairbanks on Saturday. The Falcons were swept by both schools. 

Gabby Oddo returns for her senior season after picking up First Team All-GNAC honors last year. Oddo averaged 3.48 kills and 3.11 digs per set while amassing a .202 hitting percentage. Oddo was a unanimous selection to the 2019 GNAC All-Conference Team. This season, shes racked up 119 kills on a .187 hitting percentage. Defensively, she's added 110 digs.  

Other Falcon standouts include Gabi Stegemoller and Jaeden Hooker. Stagemoller was tough to deal with at the net in 2018. She averaged 1.24 kills and 0.81 blocks per set. This season, Stagemoller is hitting at a .213 clip and has 30 total blocks. Hooker was an offensive companion for Oddo in 2018, accumulating 2.26 kills per set. In her senior season, Hooker has 42 kills and 15 total blocks. 

SERIES HISTORY
The Wildcats and Falcons have met 34 times since 2002. The Wildcats boast a 22-12 record against the Falcons. CWU has won 9 of their last 10 meetings with SPU. Last season, the Wildcats beat the Falcons 3-1 at home before sweeping them on the road.