TOPEKA, Kan. – The Central Washington University volleyball team faced No. 18 Drury in its second game of the Capitol Plaza Invitational. The Wildcats notched their first win of the season, outlasting the Panthers 3-2 (25-22, 25-17, 18-25, 23-25, 18-16) on Friday afternoon. 
 
"These types of matches are why we came here," CWU Head Coach Mario Andaya said. "Drury has a lot of weapons and very physical in some positions. Our block came through in some big moments so that is nice to see at this stage."
 
The Wildcats (1-1) needed a late push to take the opening set against the Panthers (0-2). The Panthers led 6-3 before the Wildcats used a 6-2 run to erase the deficit and take a 9-8 lead. The teams traded points before the Panthers gained a 19-17 edge. Kills from Julia Mellander and Ashley Kaufman started an 8-3 run that gave the Wildcats enough to take the first set 25-23.
 
As a team, the Wildcats pounded 18 kills to the Panthers' 12 in the first set. Kaufman was efficient, racking up five kills on a .273 hitting percentage during that set. The Wildcats were stout defensively with 21 digs during the set. Lexi Schamadan was a catalyst on both sides of the ball for the Wildcats. She led the team with six kills and tied Kyla Morgan for a team-high of seven digs in the opening set. 
 
Schamadan stayed aggressive in the second set, helping the Wildcats bolt to a 5-2 lead with a kill and an ace during the run. The Wildcats continued to maintain their lead as the score reached 11-7. Bridgette Webb found an offensive groove with three kills during the middle stages of the second set. The Wildcats worked their way to a 15-10 lead as the Panthers called a timeout. 
 
Coming out of the timeout, the Wildcats extended their lead to 19-10, aided by three attack errors from the Panthers. A kill from Mellander ended the second set, as the Wildcats took it 25-17. 
 
Webb was a standout for the Wildcats in the second set. Webb's totals rose to seven kills on a .417 hitting percentage by the end of the second set. The Wildcat defense held the Panthers to a .061 hitting percentage in set number two. Schamadan and Morgan remained tied for the team-high in digs with 12 through two sets.  
 
"Julia [Mellander] and Diana [Fa'amausili] put up some big walls, and our defense came through at key moments," Coach Andaya said. "We had better resolve this match and kept fighting."
 
Mellander opened the third set the same way she closed the second. The kill started a short 4-0 run for the Wildcats. Kaufman capped the run with two consecutive kills. The Panthers were able to tie and take the lead, as a 9-1 run gave them an 11-5 lead.
 
A service error from the Panthers opened the door for the Wildcats. A kill from Webb helped the Wildcats cut the Panther lead to 12-8. The teams traded points before the Panthers were able to stretch their lead to 20-10. Late in the third set, Analia Vasquez entered the game for the Wildcats and recorded two aces. The aid from behind the service line wasn't enough as the Wildcats dropped the third set 25-18. 
 
Neither side gained an advantage as the fourth set opened tied at 5. The Panthers began to create separation with a 5-2 run that gave them a 10-7 lead. Point swapping continued, as the Panthers held a lead with the score at 14-11. 
 
A Panther service error provided the opportunity to take back the lead. Kaufman and Mellander teamed up to block a Panther attack. Laynie Erickson converted an ace to cut the Panther lead to 15-14. The Panthers responded by scoring three quick points, pushing their lead to 18-14. 
 
The Wildcats were facing set point as they trailed 24-18 when they strung together their best run of the match. Webb and Kaufman had kills that led to a 5-0 run that, cutting the Panther lead to 24-23. The Panthers found the kill they needed from Julia McCown and were able to escape with the fourth set, 25-23. 
 
In the deciding fifth set, the Wildcats hustled to an 8-4 advantage after Diana Fa'amausili crushed a kill. The Panthers chipped away at the Wildcat lead, cutting it to 11-7. From there, the Panthers put together a 7-3 run that gave them a 15-14 lead. Mellander had a kill that tied the game at 15. The Panthers retook the lead once more, 16-15. The Wildcats then strung together three consecutive points to take the set 18-16 and the match 3-2.  
 
"Being down match point and finding a way to win showed that we stayed hungry when challenged," Coach Andaya said. "That was cool to see."
 
Four Wildcats ended the match with double figure kills. Schamadan and Kaufman led the Wildcats with 13 kills each. Schamadan added a strong effort defensively scooping up 17 digs. Fa'amausili and Webb added double figure kills with 11 each. Webb was efficient, reaching the mark on a .273 hitting percentage. Gabrielle Aihara had a strong game, racking up 53 assists. Morgan led the defensive efforts with 19 digs. Fa'amausili had 13 blocks, 12 of which were assisted. Mellander had 11 blocks, with 10 of them coming on an assisted effort. 
 
CWU returns to action for day two of the Capitol Plaza Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 7. The team plays two more opponents on day two. CWU battles Emporia State at 9:30 a.m. PT. Later, the team takes on the host team in No. 4 Washburn at 1:30 p.m. PT.