MONMOUTH, Ore. – Just like when the teams played each other in Monmouth back in 2019. Another five-set battle was in the making tonight as the Western Oregon University volleyball team showed a lot of fight battling back to win the fourth set and force the match to a decisive fifth set. Central Washington got off to a strong start in the final set to claim the 3-2 win (25-10, 23-25, 25-17, 11-25, 15-8) Saturday night in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action inside New PE Gym.
It was Senior Night for the only senior on the team this year in Delaney Smith as she was honored before the game. The Wolves also recognized two seniors from the shortened 2021 spring season that weren't able to have a Senior Night in Allie Spear and Mikayla Seiler.
WOU (4-19, 2-14 GNAC) responded from a tough first set in which Central Washington (15-7, 11-5 GNAC) rolled to the 25-10 victory. The Wolves then fought off a late rally by the Wildcats to claim set two and after dropping set three, came back strong winning the fourth set in dominating fashion. CWU then was able to pick up some early points in the fifth set to take the victory.
Bailee Hartsook led the offense with 15 kills, while Isabel Hurliman added 13. It was a big defensive night for WOU sending back 12 blocks as Bella MacLellan tallied 10. Sarah Crowell added five and Hartsook with three. Sophie Matlock added 22 digs and Hurliman collected 18 digs for her ninth double-double of the season. Aubrey Stanton tallied 22 assists, while Laney O'Neil dished out 15.
In the opening set, CWU quickly moved out to a 7-3 lead. Points from Hurliman and Hartsook over the next several points didn't stop the Wildcats from continuing their strong start to the match. Following a kill by Delaney Smith at 19-10, CWU finished the set on a 6-0 run for the 25-10 first set win.
Trailing 9-6 in the second set, WOU responded with four straight points picking up kills from Hurliman and MacLellan and a service ace from Delaney Smith. After the Wildcats ended the run to even the set at 10, the Wolves reeled off the next four points again with Hurliman collecting a kill around three errors from the Wildcats. A Hurliman kill had WOU holding a 22-15 lead when the Wildcats started to get right back into the set. Seven straight points followed to even the set at 22. The Wolves regrouped and finished the set strong as following a 23-all tie, Hurliman moved WOU to set point with a kill before MacLellan and Crowell combined for a double-block at 25-23 to give WOU the second set and even the match at one.
The teams struggled to break open set three throughout most of the early points of the set with CWU holding a slight lead at 11-10 and then turning that into a 15-11 advantage. Following a kill by Hurliman on the next point, the Wildcats went on a 5-0 run to stretch the lead out to 20-12. A kill by Hartsook and then a solo block by Delaney Smith helped keep WOU in the set for a bit before CWU closed strong to take the third set at 25-17.
With the fourth set tied at six, a kill by Emily Olson helped start a 6-1 run for the Wolves. Hurliman added a kill and then teamed with MacLellan for a double-block. Hartsook added a kill and then a service ace by Stanton closed the run that left WOU with a 12-7 lead. Right after CWU tallied a point, WOU went on a 4-0 burst with Hartsook tallying a kill before a double-block by MacLellan and Crowell and then the rare triple block by MacLellan, Hartsook and Crowell closed the run at 16-8. With WOU still in control at 17-10, the Wolves closed the set on an 8-1 run with Crowell, MacLellan and Olson all collecting points during the run that helped WOU claim the set at 25-11 and send the match to a decisive fifth set.
CWU started strong scoring the first four points in the fifth set. After MacLellan and Crowell tallied kills to cut the deficit back to two, the Wildcats reeled off the next three points for a 7-2 lead. Hartsook and Delaney Smith each posted kills over the next few points, but a 4-2 run by CWU stretched the lead out to 11-4. With the Wildcats sitting at match point, 14-5, WOU refused to go away. Off of a service error, Hurliman tallied two straight kills to move the Wolves back to 14-8 before a kill by Tia Andaya ended the match and gave the Wildcats the 15-8 fifth set and 3-2 victory.
For the match, CWU tallied 61 kills to 26 errors in 153 chances (.229), while WOU added 46 kills to 21 errors in 154 chances (.162). The Wolves hit a sizzling .571 in set four collecting 12 kills to zero errors in 21 chances. WOU held the edge in blocks (12-7), while CWU had the advantage in service aces (11-4), assists (61-44) and digs (79-64).
Ashley Kaufman and Marianna Payne led the Wildcats with 15 kills apiece, while Andaya added 13 kills. Andaya also made it a triple-double on the night coming away with 31 assists and 14 digs. Hannah Stires tallied 27 digs and Emma Daoud-Hebert sent back four blocks, with two solo.
WOU will travel to Alaska this coming week to face Alaska Anchorage on Thursday starting at 8 p.m. (Pacific) and then against Alaska Fairbanks on Saturday beginning at 3 p.m. (Pacific).
