FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Central Washington University volleyball team (11-5, 7-2 GNAC) saw its six-game winning streak end Saturday afternoon after falling to #21 Alaska Fairbanks (16-3, 7-2 GNAC) 3-1.

Quoting Head Coach Mario Andaya

"We couldn't find enough offense in the latter stages. UAF played good defense and took advantage of their second and third chances to score. They played well; we played ok. Not a good combination against a physical well coached team."

How It Happened

The Wildcats found success early in the match—winning set one 25-17. However, the Nanooks took command of the match after—winning sets two, three, and four to take the match.
 
Ella Bines led the Wildcats, offensively, with 12 kills, followed by Scottie Ellsworth and Ellie Marble with eight each. Marble and Corinne Westby each got an ace for the 'Cats, while Addie Allen fed the offense with 21 assists. Marble, Westby, and Brooklyn Parker shared the lead in digs with 10 apiece, while Kailey Willsey led at the net with 12 blocks.
 
The match began with both teams competing evenly through the first five points. Then, Central found the first edge, scoring four straight points to take a 9-6 lead. Alaska answered with a point, but the Wildcats got three more points to build their lead. The Nanooks fought back but the Crimson and Black appeared to be in the driver's seat. The teams continued to battle and soon the 'Cats reached set point at 24-17 and didn't waste the opportunity as Ellsworth and Willsey got the block to take set one 25-17.
 
Central opened the second set with three quick points, but UAF answered with five unanswered points to take a 5-3 lead. The Wildcats responded with four of their own to flip the score to 7-5. Both teams battled as the Crimson and Black held the narrow lead. Then, when trailing 12-15, the Nanooks went on a run and scored five straight points to take a 17-15 lead. CWU got a point but was answered with three UAF points to make it 20-16. The 'Cats fought to close the gap, but the Nanooks held pressure and eventually got the set-winning kill from Mikala Henderson to take set two 25-20 and tie the match at one set apiece.
 
CWU appears to have a better showing to start set three with an early 3-2 lead. However, Alaska responded with three points to make it 5-3. Central then found three more to take the lead back. UAF then doubled the opportunity with six unanswered points to make it 11-6. The teams traded points for a couple of plays before the Nanooks got another three-point run to make it a seven-point lead. Then, Alaska answered a single CWU point with four more points to make it 20-10. The Wildcats couldn't find an answer to the Nanooks as UAF closed out the set with a 5-4 run to take set three 25-14 and take the 2-1 lead.
 
Alaska got out to a quick 2-1 lead to start set four. The Wildcats responded with four straight points to take a 5-2 lead. The teams then traded a couple of points before UAF found four points of their own to take a one-point lead. The teams began trading the lead and battling for points. The Nanooks found an edge and scored three points to make it 12-10. Central answered with two to tie it up and then both teams traded two-point runs as the score rose. Then while trailing 15-17, the 'Cats scored four straight points to take a 19-17 lead. UAF then responded with two to tie and then took the lead off a kill from Ainsley Smith. Ella Bines tied it back up at 20-20, but then Alaska scored two more to make it 22-20. Bines answered with two kills to tie it up. The Nanooks retook the lead and were answered to with an attack error from Elena Guc. Then, a kill from Henderson gave UAF match point, and after a CWU timeout, Haylee Lyons closed it out for the Nanooks 25-23 to take the match 3-1.
 
Up Next
The Wildcats stay on the road for another match—taking on Northwest Nazarene in the lone matchup of the week on Saturday, Oct. 25. First serve from Nampa, Idaho is set for noon PDT.