ELLENSBURG, Wash.—The Central Washington volleyball team exacted revenge as they swept the Nanooks from Alaska Fairbanks in three sets.
 
A team hitting percentage of .412 alongside 45 kills on 10 errors allowed the 'Cats offense to overpower the Nanooks in straight sets.
 
"Obviously our offensive performance was stellar tonight. Our hitters were really putting the ball away, and we weren't giving them second or third chances unlike last time. We stayed the course, Fairbanks went on some runs and we really grinded it out. I think our setters did a great job balancing our offense and putting our hitters in a position to take good swings." Said CWU Head Coach Mario Andaya.
 
The 'Cats came out swinging with life early. Three consecutive kills from Ashley Kaufman and a fourth from Tia Andaya put them on top early, 4-1.
 
The Nanooks answered with a three-point scoring run bringing about an equalizer at 5-5. The 'Cats answered, but the Nanooks hit another stride and quickly retook the lead 10-6.
 
Back-to-back went the 'Cats and Nanooks, trading points until a three-point run on a kill from Emma Daoud-Hebert kept it tied at 18-18.
 
Like the flip of a lightswitch, the Nanook offense lost all power as the 'Cats capped off the first set with seven consecutive points. Leanna Shymanski provided five of the seven consecutive by way of three kills and two block assists. The 'Cats took set one, 25-18.
 
Feeding off the momentum from the first set the 'Cats quickly found the early lead once more on a kill by Marianna Payne, 4-2. The Nanooks answered, and the 'Cats and Nanooks would exchange back-to-back-to-back-to-back three-point scoring runs resulting in a 'Cats lead, 10-8.
 
The 'Cats and Nanooks continued to trade once again, but the offense from the 'Cats wouldn't allow the Nannoks to retie the remainder of the set. The Nanooks had pulled within one on a service error, but a big swing from Ashley Kaufman quickly put the Nanooks in their place. The 'Cats led 15-13.
 
The Nanooks tacked on a few more by way of a few errors by the 'Cats, but five straight kills including two from Ashley Kaufman and a single from Emma Daoud-Hebert, Marianna Payne, and finally Kylie Thorne would shut down the set, 25-21 in favor of the 'Cats.
 
You could feel the air in Nicholson, and it radiated confidence from the 'Cats. The Nanooks trying to find an answer quickly found a 6-2 lead on errors by the 'Cats.
 
Quickly to answer were the 'Cats with a four-point scoring run all by way of errors from the Nanooks. After a kill from AveRee Renolds, the 'Cats regrouped and Marianna Payne slammed one off of the defender kicking off a five-point scoring run that put the 'Cats in front, 11-7.
 
The Nanooks found some ice to stand on, and quickly forced equalizers at 14-14, 16-16, and 18-18. Marianna Payne with another huge swing from the left side propelled the 'Cats into retaking the lead, 20-18.
 
The Nanooks brought it back within two at 22-20, but Ashley Kaufman and Tia Andaya would shut down the set and the match with a pair of kills, ending it 25-22.