ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University volleyball team opened the season with a three-set sweep of San Francisco State Thursday evening to give Head Coach
Lauren Herseth her first career victory in front of an excited Nicholson Arena crowd for the Wildcats' first game of the CWU Invitational.
Quoting Head Coach Lauren Herseth
"That was a great opening night! Our team played unselfish volleyball, and we had so many players show up on the stat line. Our defense gave us multiple chances, and we converted at a high level. Really proud of how hard we played from start to finish!"
How It Happened
Central cruised to victory with a dominant team performance, hitting .313, recording 44 kills, 62 digs and nine total blocks in a straight-set sweep of the Gators. Individually,
Corinne Westby led all players with 13 kills while hitting .458,
Kailey Willsey added eight kills on a .421 clip, and
Brooklyn Parker led the defense with 21 digs. Setters
Kayleigh-Shay Chang and
Addie Allen guided the offense with a combined 36 assists.
CWU jumped out to an early lead in the opening set and never looked back. The 'Cats consistently found offensive chances and used a .382 hitting percentage to keep the Gators at a distance throughout the set. Westby and Willsey helped fuel the attack as the Crimson and Black gradually stretched its advantage before closing the set on top, 25-18.
The second set followed a similar pattern early, but SFSU hung within striking distance for much of the frame. With the score still tight midway through, the Wildcats pieced together several key points to create separation. The Gators answered with a late push, but Central maintained control down the stretch to secure a 25-20 win and a commanding two-set lead.
Looking to finish the sweep, the Wildcats traded points with San Francisco State in the early stages of the third set before taking control near the midpoint. Parker's work in the back row helped extend rallies while the offense continued to find efficient scoring opportunities. CWU steadily widened the gap over the final stretch and closed out the match with a 25-17 victory to complete the season-opening sweep.
Up Next
The 'Cats continue the CWU Invitational tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 28, when they take on the No. 4 Point Loma Sea Lions. First serve from Nicholson Arena is set for 6:30 p.m.
