NAMPA, Idaho. – The Central Washington University volleyball team (12-5, 8-2 GNAC) comes home with the victory after sweeping Northwest Nazarene (4-13, 3-7 GNAC) in the Wildcats' lone match of the week.
 
Quoting Head Coach Mario Andaya
"This is another big win for us on the road. Our setters, K-Shay and Addie put us in position to score and played good defense. They got assists but also put others in position to get an assist from their defensive play. Rinnie, B, and Ellie were solid in serve receive which was another big key. Ella and Scottie were tough on the pins and grinded out some tough points."
 
How It Happened
The 'Cats found success quickly in each set and never let up to win sets one, two, and three by scores of 25-19, 25-22, and 25-20, respectively, to earn the sweep and return back to the 'Burg in the winning column.
 
The Wildcats had a strong offensive team effort in the match–led by Scottie Ellsworth with nine kills, followed by Ella Bines with eight, and Ellie Marble, Corinne Westby, and Kailey Willsey each recording seven kills. Bines and Willsey had strong contact on the ball with both recording a .429 hitting percentage. Addie Allen fed the offense with 19 total assists, while she and Westby led at the service line with two aces each. Defensively, Brooklyn Parker led the team in digs with 17, while Ellsworth and Willsey each recorded four blocks.
 
Central didn't waste any time–opening the match with a 7-2 run for the early lead. NNU fought back as the Wildcats continued to hold the lead. CWU appeared to have a strong hold on the score–getting multi-point runs to build its lead. The Nighthawks also played well as they kept the lead to about five points through most of the set. Northwest Nazarene started to find some rhythm and cut the lead down to four with the score at 22-18. Then, the 'Cats got two quick points to force set point. The 'Hawks would get one more point before Marble found the kill as the Crimson and Black took set one 25-19.
 
The second set began with Northwest Nazarene getting out to an early 5-3 lead. The Wildcats responded with four unanswered points to flip the script and take a 7-5 lead. The Nighthawks broke the run with a kill, but then Central hit another run–scoring five points to take a 12-6 lead. Once again, NNU broke the stride with a point before CWU hit another two points. The teams traded a point each, then the Nighthawks' offense came alive scoring four points to cut the lead to three. The 'Cats stopped the run but was answered with two more points from NNU to make it a 16-14 lead. The Wildcats then found a stride and scored five points to rebuild a steady lead. However, the Nighthawks weren't letting off–going on a 7-2 run to trail 21-23. Central forced set point on the next play and then following an NNU point, Ellsworth finished off the second set with a kill that gave CWU the 25-22 win and the 2-0 lead.
 
Both teams battled to start the third set with neither team giving an edge to the other. The score continued to rise with NNU finding a 10-9 lead. Then, the Wildcats came alive scoring seven straight points to take a 16-10 lead. The Nighthawks answered with three points, but Central came right back with four more. The teams went back to battling as CWU found itself approaching match point. Then, while trailing 15-23, the Nighthawks had their chance–going on a five-point run to make it a three-point lead. However, that's as close as they would get as Marble and Kennedy Webb got the final two kills for the Crimson and Black to win set three 25-20 and seal the sweep.
 
Up Next
The Wildcats return home to the 'Burg next week to take on the visiting Seattle Pacific Falcons on Thursday, Oct. 30 at 7:00 p.m.