SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Central Washington University volleyball team (19-8, 14-4 GNAC) saw its season end Friday evening after falling to Fresno Pacific in a five-set battle that saw both teams battle to the final points in the Regional Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.
 
Quoting Head Coach Mario Andaya
"Heck of a match to be a part of. The journey of this group will be something I will cherish. With so many new faces and unknowns going into this year it opened up a great opportunity to build something special. This team did that. It's a fun ride. Blessed to be a part of."
 
How It Happened
The Wildcats came out and won set one 25-13. The Firebirds responded with a strong set two win 25-16 and then battled for a tough 27-25 set three win. Central answered back with a 25-20 set four win to force set five. A battle ensued in the fifth set with both teams trading the lead, and FPU came out in the end with a 15-13 win to advance to the regional finals.
 
The Wildcats had four players record double digits in scoring led by Scottie Ellsworth with 18 kills, followed by Ella Bines with 17, and Ellie Marble and Corinne Westby, who got 10 kills each. Kayleigh-Shay Chang ran the offensive production with 34 assists, followed by Addie Allen with 21. Westby and Brooklyn Parker led the service line with two aces each, while Parker led the defense with 25 digs, with Marble recording 20 for a double-double. Kailey Willsey ran a blocking clinic with 10 total blocks, followed by Ellsworth and Marble with six each.
 
Fresno Pacific started the match strong with a 6-2 run to open the first set. Central responded with a 7-2 run to take the lead at 9-8. The Firebirds got a point, but the Wildcats answered with seven-point streak to make it 16-9. After another 3-1 run from CWU, FPU found a stride–scoring three points to cut the lead to six at 19-13. However, that's the last point that Fresno Pacific got in the first as the Crimson and Black went off for six straight points capped off by a block from Ellsworth and Willsey to win 25-13 and take a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
FPU opened set two with another 6-2 run to start. This time, however, the Firebirds kept the pressure on and continued to build its lead to 13-5. After a 4-1 run from Fresno Pacific, the Wildcats found life–scoring six straight points to cut the lead to five. The 'Cats then hit a 4-2 run to make it a 19-16 lead. However, the Firebirds found the same momentum that CWU did at the end of the first and went on a six-point streak to take set two 25-16 and tie the match at one set apiece.
 
Both teams battled start the third set, with CWU getting the narrow lead. The Wildcats got out to a 6-4 lead before Fresno Pacific found a stride and scored four straight points to flip the score and take an 8-6 lead. Central then responded with a 3-1 run to tie it back up at 9-9. The teams traded a point each before Central got a two-point run to take a 12-10 lead. The teams went back to trading the next point. Then, the Firebirds got four straight points to take a 15-13 lead, just in time for a media timeout. The Wildcats got a point following the timeout, but FPU answered with two more points to force the 'Cats to take a timeout. The timeout paid off as the Wildcats went on a 6-1 run to take a 20-18 lead and Fresno Pacific was forced to take a timeout. The timeout then played in the Firebirds' favor as they scored three straight points to take a 21-20 lead. Fresno Pacific got a 2-1 run with a 23-21 lead as Central took a timeout. Again, the timeout favored the team that called as the Wildcats scored two straight points to tie it at 23 apiece, and FPU took a timeout of their own. The Firebirds got the next point to force set point, but Central answered back with two points to flip the lead and force advantage. FPU then found its stride at the right time–scoring a tying point at 25-25, then getting a point off a big dig from Madelyn Feramisco that went over the net that CWU couldn't recover. Then, the Firebirds got a service ace to close out the third set 27-25 and take a 2-1 lead.
 
The Wildcats had a strong start for set three–getting out to a 5-1 lead. FPU got two points to cut the lead to two. Then, the teams traded the next couple of points as Central held a steady three-point lead, then FPU found two quick points to make it an 8-7 lead. After trading another point, an attack error gave Fresno Pacific the tie at 9-9. Both teams then fell into a battling heat–trading points back-and-forth as the score rose to a 16-16 tie. The Wildcats found a chance and capitalized with three quick points to take a 19-16 lead that forced FPU to take a timeout. The teams traded points following the timeout as Central continued to hold its lead. The Firebirds took another timeout, and it paid off at first as they got two quick points to cut the lead to 22-20. However, the Wildcats responded with three straight points to take set four 25-20 and force the decisive set five.
 
Central opened set five with a strong 5-2 run. Fresno Pacific responded with a 4-1 run to tie the game at 6-6. The teams then traded a point before the Wildcats got the eighth point as the teams switched sides. A great placed shot following the media timeout gave Parker an ace and the 'Cats took a two-point lead. However, the Firebirds answered with two points, including an ace of their own to tie it up a 9-9. Then, CWU got two points off great plays from Bines and Westby to take an 11-9 lead and force Fresno Pacific to take a timeout. The timeout played out for FPU as they scored two points to tie it up. Central got a point back to take a 12-11 lead, but the Firebirds came right back and tied it back up at 12-12. A long rally ensued on the next play that saw Marble get a shot to fall in the middle of the FPU zone, and the Firebirds took another timeout. Fresno Pacific got the equalizer at 13-13 and then CWU took a timeout. The Firebirds then got another point to force match points that led to another Central timeout. After a battle on the final play, Cambria Waites got a good shot and scored the match-winning kill as Fresno Pacific ended the Wildcats' season in the fifth set 15-13.