Volleyball | 10/10/2009 10:35:30 PM

Box Score [Box score]

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Laura Sakala, Danielle Reese and Samantha Ward each posted double-figure kills but it was not enough as Western Oregon fell on the road in five sets to Central Washington, 25-22, 23-25, 14-25, 25-18 and 19-17, Saturday, Oct. 10.

This Great Northwest Athletic Conference loss was the fourth of the season for the Wolves, who drop to 4-4 in league and to 7-12 on the season. The win gave the Wildcats payback for a defeat in Monmouth earlier this season in its GNAC-opener. CWU now stands at 10-7 on the year and 2-5 in conference.

Reese had a 19 kills on a match-high 64 attempts to lead Western Oregon equal Central Washington's top hitter Kady Try blow-for-blow. The senior Sakala delivered 13 kills with just one error for an impressive .462 hitting percentage. Ward also had 13 kills while posting 11 digs for the first double-double of her career. She also stonewalled 4.5 shots (two solo) as Western Oregon had a season-best 12 blocks in the losing effort. Joining Ward with a double-double was Amy Herron, who served up 53 assists to go along with 15 digs. Danielle English was the digs leader for WOU, finishing with 22 to lead five Wolves in double-figures.

Both teams had come from behind wins in the first two sets to even the match at 1-1. WOU then posted a 25-14 win in the third set before CWU responded to force a decisive fifth set.

In the final set, the Wildcats jumped out to a 3-1 lead but after a WOU timeout it took three of the next four points to pull the match even at 4-4. A quick 4-0 spurt after that pull in front 8-4. The Wolves continued to battle and would tie the set at 10 and six more times but could not ever grab the lead. After WOU knotted the match at 13-13, CWU could not capture those two straight points needed for the win until the Wolves committed two consecutive hitting errors to end the final set at 19-17.

The road will not get any easier for Western Oregon as it now must travel to Western Washington to face the Vikings (12-7, 5-3 GNAC) Thursday, Oct. 15th at 7:00 p.m.