ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Central Washington University volleyball opens its 2022 season with a pair of exhibitions at Eastern Washington University and Portland State University.
 
At Eastern Washington
Wednesday, August 17
Noon
Cheney, WA
 
At Portland State University
Saturday, August 20
5:00 PM
Portland, OR
 
QUOTABLE
"These first outings will give us a great opportunity to play against physical teams," CWU Head Coach Mario Andaya said. "It will be a chance to see where we are at, to try some things, but most of all compete."
 
SCOUTING EASTERN WASHINGTON
The Eagles finished 11-14 overall and 7-9 in Big Sky play. Eastern Washington returns 15 players from their 2021 campaign.
 
Sage Brustad enters the year as EWU's top returning scorer. She recorded 170 kill, averaging 2.13 per set. Setter Lindsey Russell also returns for the Eagles after averaging 7.17 assists per set a year ago. She racked up 179 digs defensively.
 
Eastern Washington made its second consecutive conference tournament appearance in 2021. The Eagles swept the season series over Idaho and added a victory over Idaho State. After downing Northern Arizona 3-1, EWU handed Southern Utah a 3-0 sweep. Eastern split the season series against Montana. The Eagles season concluded with a three-set loss to Northern Colorado in the conference tournament.
 
SCOUTING PORTLAND STATE
The Viks finished 2021 with a 20-11 record overall and a mark of 12-4 in Big Sky play. A 7-0 run, including three-consecutive sweeps, helped propel the Vikings to a third-place finish in the Big Sky.
 
Makayla Lewis returns to PSU's lineup after leading the Viks with 365 in 2021. She averaged 3.23 kills per set. Yakima, Washington product Parker Webb also returns for Portlland State. In 119 sets, Webb recorded 359 kills and a hitting percentage of .271. Libero Ellie Snook tallied a team-high 612 digs in 2021, averaging 5.14 per set.
 
Portland State knocked off the six-seed Sacramento State in the opening round of the Big Sky Volleyball Championship, before falling to two-seed Northern Colorado in the semifinals.
 
THE WILDCATS
Central Washington finished 2021 with a 17-9 record (12-6 GNAC) and advanced to their ninth-straight West Regional appearance. In the last seven matches of the regular season, CWU went 6-1 before knocking off Chaminade, 3-1, in the Division II West Regional. Central was the only GNAC team to claim a victory over Western Washington, a 3-1 victory on September 23.
 
AVCA All-American and GNAC Newcomer of the Year Tia Andaya returns for the Crimson and Black after posted 2.27 kills per set, 5.07 assists per set, 2.24 digs per set, and 0.54 blocks per set. Andaya set the GNAC single-season record for triple-doubles with eight.
 
Also returning for the Wildcats are First Team All-GNAC selection Ashley Kaufman. She averaged 3.31 kills and 2.27 digs per set in 2021.
 
Anchoring the Wildcats' back row is First Team All-GNAC and the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year, Hannah Stires. In her freshman season, Stires averaged a GNAC-leading 4.68 digs per set, totaling 440 for the season.
 
The trio were named Preseason All-GNAC selections a week ago.