ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Solid defense and freshmen stepping up propelled the #18 Central Washington University volleyball team (9-4, 3-2 GNAC) to a 3-0 victory (25-22, 25-15, 25-20) over the Western Oregon Wolves at the SURC Thursday evening.
 
Just before the first serve, senior outside hitter Ashley Kaufman was honored for surpassing the 1,000-career kill milestone last weekend in Seattle. Kaufman is the GNAC's active leader in career kills.
 
QUOTING HEAD COACH MARIO ANDAYA
"I thought we problem solved well and worked for our kills. Our serving and defense created opportunities and we converted those into points. It was great to see our freshmen compete and be difference makers and our leaders trust them to get the job done."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Scottie Ellsworth put up 15 kills on the night, leading the 'Cats. Meanwhile, Ellie Marble had the best performance of her young career, tallying 11 kills and a .429 attacking percentage.
 
Another day, another double-double for Tia Andaya. She registered 30 assists, 14 digs, and seven kills. Other notable performances included Hannah Stires (16 digs & 11 assists), Morgan Halady (four blocks & seven kills), and Kaufman (eight kills & six digs).
 
Tonight's game marked the first collegiate action for freshmen Corinne Westby and Kate Stidham.
 
In the first set, the Wolves and Wildcats went back and forth, with the 'Cats falling behind 15-18. A six-point CWU run turned the tides back in favor of the Crimson and Black, and a set-winning kill from Ellsworth turned the attention to the second set.
 
Momentum rolled over into the second frame as the Wildcats took a commanding 14-4 lead. The Wolves fought back getting up to 15 points, but a Kaufman kill won the second set for CWU.
 
The third set stayed tight through the early portions. Just like the first set, a big late run took CWU from down three points to up four points and pushed the 'Cats to a sweep. The third frame ended 25-20.
 
Tonight's sweep is the thirteenth straight victory for the Wildcats over Western Oregon dating back to 2016.
 
UP NEXT
The #18 Wildcats will look forward to Saturday, Sept. 30, for a matchup against Saint Martin's at 1:00 p.m. in the SURC.