Central Washington University Athletics

BILLINGS, Mont. - The Central Washington University volleyball team extended its winning streak to 13 matches Saturday afternoon, defeating Montana State Billings in four sets, 25-10, 16-25, 25-6, 25-15, at Alterowitz Gymnasium.
 
Quoting Head Coach Lauren Herseth
"Our right sides, Kenzie and Kennedy, were the game changers this afternoon. They both hit over .400 and gave us a balanced look that was hard for Billings to contain. The score looks lopsided but credit to MSUB for making us earn that one."
 
How It Happened
CWU bounced back from a second-set setback to dominate the final two frames, finishing with a .311 attack percentage while holding Montana State Billings to .102. The Wildcats posted advantages in kills (48-31), aces (16-3), assists (47-30), and digs (48-37) while improving to 17-4 overall and 13-2 in GNAC play. Kennedy Webb led the attack with 13 kills on a .423 hitting percentage, while Ellie Marble added nine kills on .500 hitting and Corinne Westby chipped in seven kills. Kayleigh-Shay Chang directed the offense with 25 assists and a career-high eight service aces, while Addie Allen added 15 assists. Brooklyn Parker led the defense with 14 digs, and Kailey Willsey contributed six kills, four aces, and four blocks.
 
First Set
Central seized control immediately behind Chang's serve, opening the match with consecutive aces and racing to a 9-1 advantage. VanderYacht added two aces during a seven-point service run as the Wildcats overwhelmed the Yellowjackets early. Montana State Billings briefly settled in and cut the deficit to 13-6, but Central answered with a 10-3 run fueled by kills from Marble, Westby, Godden, and Luinstra. Chang added two more late aces before Tri closed out the dominant 25-10 opening-set victory with a kill.
 
Second Set
The second set started evenly, with the teams tied at 6-6 before Montana State Billings used a 9-1 run to take control. Whitney, Ping, and the Yellowjacket block keyed the surge as Central struggled to find its offensive rhythm. The Wildcats trimmed the deficit to 16-10 on a Webb kill and later received kills from Marble, Luinstra, and Webb to stay within striking distance, but Montana State Billings never allowed the lead to dip into single digits. The Yellowjackets carried the momentum to a 25-16 win while hitting .435 in the frame.
 
Third Set
Central responded with its most dominant set of the season. Chang served the Wildcats to a stunning 10-0 start that included three service aces, two Westby kills, two Webb kills, and multiple Montana State Billings attack errors. After the Yellowjackets finally got on the board, VanderYacht added another ace and Webb continued to find the floor as Central pushed the advantage to 15-3. Willsey contributed an ace, Tri and Westby teamed for blocks, and back-to-back Willsey aces ended a lopsided 25-6 set victory.
 
Fourth Set
The Wildcats carried that momentum into the fourth set, building an 8-2 lead behind kills from Webb, Marble, and Willsey along with a Parker ace. Consecutive Godden-Willsey blocks helped Central extend the margin to 12-3 before Montana State Billings mounted a brief response to cut the deficit to 15-9. The Wildcats quickly stopped the rally as Westby, Webb, Marble, and Godden each recorded key kills during an 8-3 stretch. Leading 24-15, Central turned to Godden one final time, and the middle blocker delivered the match-clinching kill to secure the four-set victory.
 
Up Next
The Wildcats return to the road on Saturday, Nov. 7, when they travel to Nampa, Idaho, to face Northwest Nazarene. First serve is scheduled for 12 p.m. at the Johnson Sports Center.