PORTLAND, Ore. – Central Washington University saw three student-athletes garner distinctions for their hard work last weekend by their respective conferences. Senior middle blocker Hayli Tri has been named the GNAC Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week, while sophomore forward Jaylee Reynolds was tabbed the GNAC Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week, the conference office announced on Monday. The Lone Star Conference announced that senior running back Ryder Bumgarner was named the LSC Offensive Player of the Week.
 
Tri helped the Wildcats to a pair of road victories in Alaska last week, playing a major role in wins over Alaska Fairbanks and Alaska Anchorage. The senior from Lake Stevens, Washington, excelled defensively at the net, totaling 15 blocks in the two-match sweep while also contributing 10 kills and 19.0 points. 
 
Tri turned in a standout performance in Thursday's five-set victory over Alaska Fairbanks, finishing with five kills, a .364 hitting percentage, and nine total blocks. She followed that effort with five kills and six total blocks in Saturday's four-set win over Alaska Anchorage. 
 
Over the two matches, Tri averaged 1.67 blocks per set and committed just three attacking errors on 28 attempts. Her presence in the middle helped anchor a Wildcat defense that secured back-to-back conference victories during the Alaska road trip. 
 
The Wildcats return home this week for a pair of GNAC contests at Nicholson Arena. Central Washington hosts Saint Martin's (8-11, 4-7 GNAC) on Thursday at 7 p.m. before welcoming Western Oregon (8-11, 4-7 GNAC) on Saturday at 1 p.m. as CWU looks to carry its momentum into another important week of conference play. 
 
Reynolds delivered two standout performances this last week, facing off against Seattle Pacific University and Montana State Billings. While the Wildcats trailed SPU 0-1 late in their match on Thursday, Reynolds found a deep-range opportunity that she nailed home to tie the match 1-1 in a clutch moment. In their Saturday match against MSUB, she kept up her strong offensive play, scoring another goal to give her a team-leading fifth goal of the season. Her goal against MSUB extended the 'Cats lead to 2-0 late in the match, making a comeback even more difficult for the Yellow Jackets. With Reynolds getting consistent shots up, she is now tied for third in the GNAC in goals scored and second in shots on goal with 18.
 
Reynolds and the 'Cats sit at a conference record of 4-4-2, good enough for fourth place in the GNAC. They will be back in action on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. for a road match versus Saint Martin's University (2-11-2, 1-8-1 GNAC). They will follow that up by going south to take on Western Oregon University (2-8-4, 1-6-3 GNAC) on Saturday at 7 p.m.
 
Bumgarner had a standout game this past Saturday, helping lead the 'Cats to a shootout 52-49 victory at Texas A&M-Kingsville. Bumgarner finished with 165 rushing yards and tied a CWU record with five rushing touchdowns. He also added a 25-yard reception to his night. He currently sits at the 12th-most rushing yards in NCAA Division II this season with 730 total yards and is fourth in D2 in rushing touchdowns with 14 on the year.
 
Bumgarner and the Wildcats are back home this Saturday when they host the UTPB Falcons (5-2, 4-1 LSC), who will be looking to bounce back from their first conference setback last Saturday, on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. from Steve Hertling Field at Tomlinson Stadium.
 
Read the full GNAC release HERE
Read the full LSC release HERE