SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - In the opening round of the NCAA Division II West Region Tournament, the Central Washington University volleyball team fell in three sets (13-25, 22-25, 18-25) to the second-seeded hosts Cal State San Bernardino, ending the 2023 season for the Wildcats.
 
NOTABLE STATS
Despite a slow start offensively, the Wildcats hit well in the second and third set, finishing with a .233 hitting percentage. They struggled to contain a CSUSB attack that kept rolling, ending the night with a .440 hitting percentage. The Coyotes limited their attack errors to eight, while the Wildcats tallied 13.
 
In her final game of her storied career, Tia Andaya powered the CWU offense with 31 assists, adding four kills and four digs. Scottie Ellsworth led the Wildcats with 10 kills, followed by Kylie Thorne with six. Morgan Halady had a team-leading two blocks, along with four more Wildcats who tallied one. Hannah Stires led the team with seven digs.
 
QUOTING HEAD COACH MARIO ANDAYA
"Overall, I think San Bernardino outplayed us, they were a little too much to handle today. We didn't get them out of their system, and we didn't convert enough. We fought hard and I'm proud of what the team has accomplished.
 
It's unfortunate now we don't get to talk about what's next, but now we can reflect on the things we did. Seeing these guys interact and operate the way they did, they make this program something to be proud of. We're very fortunate for this group of individuals that continue to raise the bar even higher."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Wildcats quickly fell into a 1-5 hole in the first frame, before Ellsworth recorded the first kill of the game for CWU. CSUSB continued to build momentum, and registered seven straight as the lead widened to 3-14. A late three-point run, capped off by a pair of kills from Andaya, made the score 11-22. The 'Cats only scored two more points before a CSUSB kill ended the first frame 13-25.
 
An Ellsworth kill followed by a Coyote attack error got the Wildcats a 2-0 lead in the second set. CSUSB tied it up at 5-5 just a few minutes later. Down 9-11, Ellie Marble and Emma Daoud-Hebert pushed the Wildcats on a three-point streak, regaining the lead at 12-11. After expanding the lead to 20-17, the Coyotes took four straight, as the Wildcats fell behind 20-21. A Daoud-Hebert kill and a Kate Stidham ace gave the 'Cats a 22-21 lead, but CSUSB responded decisively by taking the final four points to end the set 22-25.
 
With Stires at the service line, the Wildcats took a 4-2 lead. The team maintained the two-point lead at 7-5 before CSUSB took five of six to take the lead back. Consecutive kills by Marble and Ashley Kaufman leveled the score at 13 apiece later on. The Wildcats couldn't keep pace with the CSUSB attack that pushed the Crimson and Black behind 15-20. The Coyotes kept rolling and converted the sweep with three straight kills, claiming the third frame 18-25.
 
The Wildcats end the 2023 season with a 20-7 (14-4 GNAC) record, finishing as the conference runner-ups, on their way to the 11th-straight NCAA West Regional appearance.