BURNABY, British Columbia – The No. 20 Central Washington University volleyball team (4-3, 0-1 GNAC) battled toe-to-toe with No. 23 Simon Fraser (4-3, 1-0 GNAC) throughout its GNAC opener, but the Red Leafs rallied after dropping the first set to hand the Wildcats a four-set defeat Thursday night at West Gym.
Quoting Head Coach Lauren Herseth
"We showed tremendous fight in every set. Simon Fraser is a tough team and a tough place to play, but our errors cost us. I thought Ellie and BP passed lights out and our middles made some big plays down the stretch."
How It Happened
The 'Cats fought throughout the match, but the Red Leafs used late-set execution to secure the 3-1 victory. CWU claimed the opening set and pushed Simon Fraser to the limit throughout the evening, with each of the final three sets decided by three points or fewer.
Ellie Marble led the Wildcats with 15 kills, while
Hayli Tri added 10 kills and five blocks.
Corinne Westby chipped in nine kills,
Kayleigh-Shay Chang dished out 22 assists,
Addie Allen recorded 17 assists and 13 digs, and
Brooklyn Parker led the defense with 16 digs as CWU finished with 53 kills, six aces, nine blocks, and 60 digs in the conference opener.
First Set
The Wildcats jumped out to an early 8-4 advantage behind a service ace from Chang, kills from Tri,
Kailey Willsey, and Westby, and a block from Willsey and
Kennedy Webb. Simon Fraser gradually chipped away and eventually tied the score at 13-13, but CWU answered with a strong stretch highlighted by kills from Marble and Westby, a service ace from Allen, and a pair of Simon Fraser attack errors to build a 20-15 lead. The Red Leafs refused to go away, scoring eight of the next 12 points behind the attacking duo of Megan Hawkins and Katarina Damnjanovic to pull within 24-23. With the set hanging in the balance, Chang delivered a pinpoint assist to Westby, who got the final kill to cap off a hard-fought 25-23 set one victory for the Wildcats.
Second Set
The second set was a back-and-forth battle that featured 13 ties and several momentum swings. Neither team led by more than three points for most of the frame, with kills from Marble, Westby, Willsey, and Webb helping Central build a slim 19-16 advantage late in the set. The Red Leafs answered behind the play of Nina Kovacevic and Damnjanovic, eventually erasing the deficit and tying the score at 23-23. Willsey gave the Wildcats set point with a kill at 24-23, but Simon Fraser responded with three consecutive points, including kills from Kovacevic and Hawkins and a block by Kovacevic and Bella Tano on the final rally, to claim the set 26-24 and level the match at one set apiece.
Third Set
Set three was another tightly contested battle with 10 ties and neither team able to create much separation until the closing points. Central built an early 6-3 lead behind kills from Westby, Webb, and Tri, but Simon Fraser answered behind Damnjanovic and Kovacevic to even the score at 10-10. The Wildcats continued to trade points with the Red Leafs throughout the middle of the set, getting key kills from Marble, Tri, and Willsey and a pair of blocks from Willsey and
Addison Mills to knot the score at 16-16. Simon Fraser gained a small advantage late, but Central stayed within striking distance as Marble and Willsey helped trim the deficit to 24-23. However, after the Wildcats fought off one set point with a block from Willsey and Mills, Kovacevic recorded the final kill to give the Red Leafs a 25-23 win and a 2-1 lead in the match.
Fourth Set
Both teams battled through 10 ties and seven lead changes in the fourth set as neither team could gain much separation early. Central received strong contributions from Tri, Marble, and Willsey, using a 5-0 run midway through the set to turn a 10-6 deficit into a 10-10 tie. The Wildcats continued to battle, getting key kills from Webb, Marble, and Willsey while Tri and Mills teamed up for multiple blocks to keep CWU within striking distance. After Simon Fraser stretched its lead to 22-17, Central made one final push, scoring five of the next seven points behind blocks from Tri and Mills, a kill from Tri, and a Simon Fraser attack error to pull within 24-22. However, the Red Leafs capitalized on match point as Damnjanovic delivered the final kill to secure a 25-22 set win and close out the match.
Up Next
Central continues its conference-opening road swing this Saturday, Sept. 12, when the Wildcats travel to Bellingham to face Western Washington. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. at WECU Court at Carver Gym.
