POMONA, Calif. - The Central Washington University volleyball team (4-1) turned in a dominant all-around performance Friday afternoon, sweeping Cal State LA at the Bronco Classic.
Quoting Head Coach Lauren Herseth
"Really proud of our team effort and response today. We were able to contain LA's best stuff and find ways to score. I thought our passers did a nice job battling it out for our offense; and it was cool to see our block come up big towards the end. Every player on the court is finding ways to affect the game, and we'll need more of that moving into our final match tomorrow."
How It Happened
Central delivered a dominant all-around performance in Friday's sweep of Cal State LA, hitting .273 as a team while limiting the Golden Eagles to a .000 attack percentage and holding edges in blocks (10-2), service aces (10-5), and digs (42-36). The Wildcats were led by
Ellie Marble, who recorded 10 kills, three service aces, and nine digs, while
Corinne Westby added nine kills, 10 digs, and a team-best .471 hitting percentage.
Kailey Willsey contributed four kills and a match-high four blocks,
Mackenzie Godden added 3.5 blocks, and setters
Kayleigh-Shay Chang and
Addie Allen combined for 21 assists as the 'Cats completed the straight-set victory.
First Set
Central and LA battled through a tight start to the opening set, with the score tied at 5-5 before the Wildcats began to gain separation. Kills from Marble, Westby, and
Hayli Tri, combined with strong play at the net from Willsey and Godden, helped CWU build an 11-6 advantage. The 'Cats continued to control the set as the lead grew to 17-9, and although the Golden Eagles briefly cut into the margin, Central answered with timely kills from Westby and Marble down the stretch. The Wildcats maintained their cushion throughout the closing points and secured the opener, 25-17, on Westby's set-clinching kill.
Second Set
The 'Cats found themselves trailing for much of the second set after Cal State LA used an early run to build a 12-6 advantage. However, Central gradually chipped away at the deficit behind kills from Westby and Marble, while strong play at the net from Willsey and Godden helped CWU pull within 15-14. After tying the set at 16-16 on a Marble kill, the Wildcats took control with a decisive 8-0 run fueled by a Willsey service ace, multiple blocks, and several Golden Eagle attacking errors. CWU maintained the momentum through the closing points, with Marble delivering a key late kill before a Cal State LA attack error sealed the 25-19 victory and gave the Crimson and Black a 2-0 lead in the match.
Third Set
The 'Cats left little doubt in the third set, overcoming an early 4-3 deficit before seizing control with a dominant run. Kills from Westby, Marble, and Tri, along with three service aces from Allen, helped the Wildcats build an 8-5 lead and force Cal State LA onto its heels. CWU continued to apply pressure as Marble and Willsey sparked the offense, capitalizing on a series of Golden Eagle errors to stretch the advantage to 17-7. From there, Central cruised to the finish, receiving additional kills from Willsey and Westby, plus a pair of service aces from Chang, as a final attack error from LA closed out the set 25-8 to complete the sweep.
Up Next
The Wildcats close out their time in the Bronco Classic tomorrow, Sept. 5, as they take on No. 23 Cal State San Bernardino. First serve from Pomona is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
