Central Washington University Athletics

NAMPA, Idaho - The Central Washington University volleyball team continued its march toward a GNAC championship Saturday afternoon, sweeping Northwest Nazarene 25-14, 25-20, 25-20 at the Johnson Sports Center.
 
Quoting Head Coach Lauren Herseth
"Our mission was to bring our best to Nampa and bring out the best in each other, and I think we did just that. Our ball control was lights out and we had multiple hitters contribute on offense and that made us really tough to handle."
 
How It Happened
Central Washington controlled the match from start to finish, hitting .234 while holding Northwest Nazarene to a .093 attack percentage. The Wildcats finished with advantages in kills (41-29), aces (6-4), assists (35-26), and digs (50-46) while extending their winning streak to 14 matches. Kailey Willsey paced the offense with nine kills on a blistering .643 hitting percentage and added a team-high six blocks. Ellie Marble and Corinne Westby each contributed eight kills, while Kayleigh-Shay Chang directed the attack with 19 assists and two aces. Brooklyn Parker anchored the back row with 22 digs as Central improved to 18-4 overall and 14-2 in GNAC play, maintaining a one-match lead over Simon Fraser atop the conference standings with two matches remaining.
 
First Set
The Nighthawks grabbed an early 3-1 lead behind two Abby Black kills, but the Wildcats quickly settled in. Consecutive kills from Marble tied the score before Central used a 7-2 run fueled by kills from Willsey, Godden, and Westby to build a 12-7 advantage. Northwest Nazarene trimmed the deficit to 15-12 behind Black, but Central answered immediately. A Webb kill and Parker service ace highlighted a decisive 7-0 run that pushed the lead to 22-12. Willsey added two late kills at the net before Godden finished the frame with a kill from Allen to secure a commanding 25-14 victory.
 
Second Set
The 'Cats carried the momentum into the second, racing out to a 4-0 lead behind a VanderYacht ace and a pair of Nighthawk errors. Northwest Nazarene battled back and eventually tied the score at 9-9 before the Wildcats regained control. Westby, Godden, and Parker sparked a 7-2 run that gave Central a 16-11 advantage. The Nighthawks would close within 21-18 late in the set, but NNU hit a costly service error, and then Chang delivered back-to-back service aces to bring up set point. After Northwest Nazarene fended off one opportunity, Westby put away the set-clinching kill for a 25-20 win and a two-set lead.
 
Third Set
The final set proved to be the most competitive. Northwest Nazarene jumped out to a 3-0 lead and later stayed within one point at 7-6. The Wildcats answered with strong play at the net as Willsey, Marble, Webb, and Westby combined for key kills during an 8-2 run that pushed the lead to 15-8. Central extended the margin to 20-10 following a stretch highlighted by three blocks and consecutive Willsey kills. The Nighthawks mounted a late rally, scoring 10 of the next 13 points to cut the deficit to 23-20, but Westby delivered a kill to reach match point before Willsey ended the contest with a service ace for the 25-20 victory.
 
Up Next
The Wildcats return home for the final two matches of the regular season. Central hosts rival Western Washington on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. inside Nicholson Arena before welcoming No. 22 Simon Fraser on Senior Day on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. With a one-match lead atop the GNAC standings, the Wildcats control their path to a conference championship entering the final week of the regular season.