ELLENSBURG, Wash. — It was a fitting afternoon in Nicholson Arena as Central Washington celebrated "Mario Day" by honoring longtime head coach and current Deputy Athletics Director Mario Andaya before the Wildcats delivered a dominant 3-0 sweep of Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.
Prior to first serve, CWU recognized Andaya's more than three decades of service to Wildcat Volleyball. The winningest coach in program history, Andaya helped build the program into a perennial NCAA contender, leading the Wildcats to four GNAC championships, 15 NCAA Regional appearances, and 489 career victories while impacting generations of student-athletes. The ceremony also honored his family, including wife Mollie and children Nate, Tia, and Darius, for their support throughout his career.
Quoting Head Coach Lauren Herseth
"What a day! Mario's legacy goes beyond the volleyball, and we were excited to play for something bigger than ourselves this afternoon. It was special to get the win for our program and share it with Mario and all of the alumni who joined us.
I thought we showed a ton of grit throughout the match. Our goal was to outwork them in transition and I'm proud of our resiliency in set three. NNU is tough and gave us a couple of different looks, but we were able to stay the course and execute to our standard."
How It Happened
The Wildcats improved to 11-4 overall and 7-2 in GNAC play while hitting .252 as a team and totaling 10 service aces, 41 kills and nine blocks.
Ellie Marble,
Corinne Westby and
Kailey Willsey led a balanced attack with 10 kills apiece.
First Set
Northwest Nazarene jumped out to an early 11-8 lead before the Wildcats found their rhythm. CWU answered with a 12-4 run behind strong play from Westby and Willsey, turning the deficit into a commanding advantage. The Wildcats closed the set by winning nine of the final 12 points, with a block from Willsey and
Kennedy Webb ending the frame at 25-18.
Second Set
The two teams were tied at 11-11 midway through the set before Central Washington took complete control. Behind the serving of
Addie Allen and Marble, the Wildcats rattled off a 13-1 run that turned a close contest into a rout. Marble recorded three service aces during the stretch as CWU rolled to a 25-13 victory and a 2-0 lead in the match.
Third Set
The Nighthawks mounted their strongest challenge of the afternoon, building an 18-13 advantage late in the set. The Wildcats responded with poise, scoring 12 of the final 16 points. Marble, Westby and Willsey delivered key kills during the comeback, while the defense came up with timely blocks to slow Northwest Nazarene's attack. Allen sealed the sweep with a service ace, giving CWU a 25-22 victory.
Up Next
The Wildcats hit the road next week for a pair of GNAC matches, beginning Thursday night at No. 25 Alaska Fairbanks before taking on RV Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.
