Central Washington University Athletics

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - The No. 21 Central Washington University volleyball team continued its hot stretch Thursday night, cruising past Montana State Billings in straight sets, 25-22, 25-9, 25-14, inside Nicholson Arena. The Wildcats improved to 9-4 overall and 5-2 in GNAC play with their fifth consecutive victory.
 
Quoting Head Coach Lauren Herseth
"MSUB really challenged us in the first set, but we were able to settle in and dominate the rest of the way. Our middles worked extremely hard tonight, and we had a freshman, Breven, step in for the first time and produce at a high clip which gave our whole team a spark."
 
How It Happened
Central delivered one of its most efficient offensive performances of the season, hitting a blistering .409 while holding Montana State Billings to a .126 attack percentage. The Wildcats totaled 47 kills, seven service aces, 44 digs, and 41 assists in the sweep. Kailey Willsey led the attack with 12 kills, Kennedy Webb added nine, and Ellie Marble chipped in eight kills. Mya VanderYacht sparked the Wildcats from the service line with four aces, while Kayleigh-Shay Chang recorded 23 assists and Addie Allen added 16. Defensively, Brooklyn Parker paced the team with 15 digs, and Hayli Tri led the front row with four blocks.
 
First Set
Montana State Billings controlled much of the early portion of the opening set, building a 12-10 advantage behind strong play from Emma Fairbairn and Izzy Ping. The Yellowjackets later extended their lead to 20-18 and appeared poised to take the opening frame. The 'Cats responded when Webb, Marble, and Willsey combined for key kills to pull the Wildcats even at 21-21. VanderYacht then changed the momentum with a service ace that gave Central a 22-21 lead before a Tri and Marble block pushed the advantage to 23-21. Webb added another kill to bring up set point, and Willsey finished the set with a kill as the Wildcats closed on a 7-2 run to steal a 25-22 victory.
 
Second Set
The Wildcats took complete control in the second set after a tightly contested opening stretch. With the score tied at 3-3, Central rattled off a 5-0 run behind four consecutive kills from Willsey to seize an 8-3 lead. The advantage continued to grow as Westby, Webb, and Tri fueled another extended run that pushed the margin to 17-7. VanderYacht contributed a pair of service aces during the surge, while the Wildcats' defense consistently forced MSUB out of system. Central never let the Yellowjackets back into the set and closed on an 8-2 run, capped by an Allen service ace, to claim a dominant 25-9 win.
 
Third Set
Central carried its momentum into the third set, jumping ahead 5-2 before using kills from Marble, Webb, and Willsey to build a 10-5 advantage. The Wildcats gradually separated themselves throughout the middle portion of the frame, with Tri taking over at the net and helping Central extend the lead to 16-7. Consecutive blocks by Tri and Webb pushed the margin to 19-8, and VanderYacht added another service ace during the run. Breven Luinstra provided a spark off the bench with a pair of late kills as the Wildcats cruised to match point. Luinstra delivered the final kill of the night to secure the 25-14 victory and complete the sweep.
 
Up Next
The Wildcats continue GNAC play Saturday, Oct. 3, when they host Seattle Pacific at Nicholson Arena. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. as part of Kid's Day, presented by KVH.