HONOLULU, Hawaii – The Central Washington University volleyball team (4-3) finished its nonconference slate of the season with a sweep over the Hawaii Pacific Sharks (3-6) in the final game of the Aloha State Showdown in Honolulu, Hawaii.
 
Quoting Head Coach Mario Andaya
"We played with a lot of purpose and worked hard as a team. Our serving and passing were solid, and we were able to generate kills. HPU had a nice defense, so it was nice to see us withstand some great effort from our opponent and still hit well. Fun win to end our Hawaii journey. We learned a lot about ourselves this tournament which will help us prepare for conference play."
 
How It Happened
Central won the match in three sets with a dominating presence–outscoring the Sharks 61 to 32, including 40 kills, nine aces, and 12 blocks. The Wildcats won all three sets by double-digits, exhibiting a strong performance in all aspects.
 
MacKenzie Godden got the top spot in scoring for CWU–logging nine total kills, followed by Scottie Ellsworth and Kailey Willsey with eight kills each. Ellsworth and Willsey also led at the net with six blocks each, followed by Godden with five. Kayleigh-Shay Chang kept the offense flowing with 27 assists, while Ellie Marble led on the defensive line with 16 digs, and Chang, Marble, and Willsey all led from the service line with two aces each.
 
The 'Cats didn't waste any time–starting the match with a 7-1 run. The Crimson and Black showed heavy pressure for almost the entire set–scoring a 23-7 run overall before HPU found a stride and went on a seven-point run to make it 23-14. The teams traded a point each and then, with set point forced, Godden got a set-winning kill as the Wildcats took set one 25-15.
 
Set two began much more evenly, with both teams performing competitively. The Sharks were first to gain an edge–building a 9-6 lead early on. Central would get a 4-2 run to make it a one-point game. The teams began trading points as HPU held its narrow lead. Then, with Hawaii Pacific leading 15-14, the Crimson and Black's offense exploded–going on an 11-0 run to win set two, once again with a 25-15 score.
 
Central opened the third set with three quick points before HPU answered to stop the run. The teams traded a point before CWU hit another run–scoring four more points to take an 8-2 lead. The Wildcats appeared to have a very fluid workflow as they continued to answer singular points from the Sharks with multi-point runs. Then, with the 'Cats leading 23-9, Hawaii Pacific went on a 5-1 run. However, with match point looming, the Crimson and Black got a final kill from Kaitlyn Leaverton to win the set 25-14, as the Wildcats busted out their brooms–closing out the Aloha State Showdown with a sweep of the Sharks.
 
Up Next
Central returns home this week to kick off the GNAC season–hosting the #14 Simon Fraser Red Leafs on Thursday, Sep. 18. First serve from Nicholson Arena is set for 7:00 p.m.