ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Central Washington University volleyball made it's long-awaited return to Nicholson Arena on Saturday. The #17 Wildcats (11-4, 5-2 GNAC) lived up to the anticipation with a 3-1 victory (23-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-21) over Northwest Nazarene (7-8, 3-4 GNAC).
 
The three-headed attacking trio of Ashley Kaufman (16), Ellie Marble (15), and Scottie Ellsworth (14) looked dominant, combining for 45 of CWU's 59 kills.
 
Tia Andaya put up 50 assists, a season-high, along with 10 digs for a double-double. Emma Daoud-Hebert led the team with six blocks and added seven kills. Hannah Stires put up 21 digs, a team high.
 
QUOTING HEAD COACH MARIO ANDAYA
"It was great to see the team stay the course after set one and continue to adapt. NNU scored well in set one, so we needed to find a way to slow them down and keep finding kills."
 
"AK, Hannah, and Ellie rocked in serve receives, allowing us to find offense right away. Tia distributed well and set a nice offense. We had some big offensive performances from several players which was a key to get this win."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the first set, the Wildcats looked to have a little bit of control, leading the Nighthawks 20-16. A stretch of six straight points for NNU changed the momentum and they closed the set not much later.
 
The second set started with some CWU revenge, jumping out to a quick 4-0 lead thanks to kills from Ellsworth and Morgan Halady. The Wildcats maintained the gap, not letting the Nighthawks get any closer than three points away. A block from Daoud-Hebert and Andaya capped off the second set, 25-18.
 
In the third set, the teams battled early, trading points back and forth. It would be a six-point run for CWU, led by Kaufman at the service line, that would be the difference maker. The team's strong defense wouldn't let NNU string more than a couple of points together, preventing a comeback. Ellsworth ended the set with a heat seeker of a kill as the Wildcats took the third frame 25-18.
 
The Wildcats jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fourth set and continued to hold a lead at 16-11. Then, the Nighthawks took eight of the next nine points, stealing the momentum back as the 'Cats trailed 17-19.
 
When it looked like NNU might force a fifth set, the entire team responded decisively. CWU took eight of the remaining ten points and a match-winning kill from Marble sent the Nighthawks home.

UP NEXT
The #17 Wildcats (11-4, 5-2 GNAC) will make their annual trip to Alaska next week for their matchups at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday, Oct. 12, and Alaska Fairbanks on Saturday, Oct. 14.