OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Central Washington University volleyball (8-4, 4-2 GNAC) team won its fourth straight match Sunday afternoon, defeating Saint Martin's in straight sets behind one of its most efficient offensive performances of the season.
Quoting Head Coach Lauren Herseth
"We had to grind out that match and claw our way through some instability. I was super impressed with our middles - they are striving to make upgrades and it was evident in their offense this afternoon. And credit to our whole team, to come out of this weird week with two road wins is something we are very proud of."
How It Happened
The Wildcats hit .333 as a team, totaling 47 kills and nine blocks while holding the Saints to a .198 attacking percentage.
Corinne Westby and
Kailey Willsey led the offense with 10 kills apiece, while
Ellie Marble added nine kills.
Mya VanderYacht provided a spark from the service line with four aces,
Kayleigh-Shay Chang distributed 27 assists,
Addie Allen added 16 assists, and
Brooklyn Parker led the defense with 17 digs. At the net, Willsey recorded five blocks and
Hayli Tri added four as Central improved to 8-4 overall and 4-2 in GNAC play.
First Set
Saint Martin's controlled the early portion of the opening set, using a 5-2 run to build an early advantage and later extending its lead to 11-9 behind strong play from Emily Garten and Hanna Ligons. Central chipped away and finally moved in front during a 4-0 stretch highlighted by kills from Marble and Tri and a VanderYacht service ace to take a 13-11 lead. The Saints answered and eventually built a 19-16 edge late in the set, putting pressure on the Wildcats. The Crimson and Black responded with its strongest run of the frame, scoring seven of the next eight points behind blocks from Willsey, Westby, Godden, and Tri, while Westby supplied several key kills. After Saint Martin's pulled within 24-23, Tri finished the set with a kill to secure the 25-23 victory.
Second Set
The Wildcats seized momentum immediately in the second set. VanderYacht served Central to a 6-0 start, delivering three service aces during the run while Webb added a pair of kills. Saint Martin's struggled to recover as the 'Cats continued to build the lead, stretching the margin to 13-5 behind strong net play from Tri, Westby, and Willsey. Central maintained control throughout the set and led by as many as 11 points at 20-9 after kills from Marble and Willsey. The Saints made one final push with a late 9-4 run, trimming the deficit to 24-18, but a block by Tri and Westby ended the rally and gave the Crimson and Black a 25-18 win and a two-set advantage.
Third Set
Saint Martin's came out determined in the third set and grabbed a 9-4 lead while taking advantage of several early Wildcats errors. Central slowly worked its way back into the match, cutting the deficit to 16-16 behind kills from Westby, Willsey, Webb, and Marble. The teams traded points through a tense middle stretch before consecutive kills from Willsey and Westby gave Central an 18-17 lead. The 'Cats continued to edge ahead, receiving key contributions from Godden, Tri, and Marble to move in front 22-20. After Saint Martin's narrowed the gap to 24-22, Willsey delivered the match-clinching kill off an Allen assist to finish the 25-22 set win and complete the sweep.
Up Next
The Crimson and Black return to Nicholson Pavilion next week for a three-game homestand starting on Thursday, Oct. 1, taking on Montana State Billings. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m.
