13th-Ranked Central Washington Downs SPU in Four-Game Volleyball Match
October 16, 2004

SEATTLE, Wa. (Oct. 16)—LeAnne McGahuey smacked a match-high 27 kills to lead 13th-ranked Central Washington over Seattle Pacific University in four games in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match Saturday night at Brougham Pavilion.

The Wildcats’ victory snapped a three-match win streak for SPU, who had swept its last three competitors. Central Washington (11-0 GNAC, 19-0) remained undefeated, prevailing 30-25, 30-21, 27-30, 30-26.

The Falcons rallied from four-down in the fourth game to cut Central’s lead to 27-26, behind a Whitney Dibble (So., Reno, Nv./Galena) block, but could not bolster an organized attack that would surpass the Wildcats. LaQue Branch punctuated match point, serving a heavy ball off the arm of an SPU player.

The Falcons controlled play for much of the first game behind Jessica Bauder (Sr., Richland, Wa.) and Chelsey Myers’ (Jr., Minden, Nv./Douglas) 10 combined kills. Central knotted the score at 18 off a McGahuey kill and pulled ahead for good, capping the game with a service ace by Christina Null.

In game three, SPU mustered a .422 attack percentage as Myers and Dibble hit for five and four kills apiece. The Falcons stretched their lead to nine (28-19) before McGahuey crushed five balls in a seven-point rally to bring the score to a 28-26, SPU advantage. The Falcons recovered in time, with a pair of kills by Alyssa Given (Fr., Salinas, Ca./Notre Dame) and Kathleen Monda (Sr., Woodinville, Wa.) to force game four.

Myers paced Seattle Pacific with 18 kills; Bauder put down 17 and dug out a match-high 30 balls. McGahuey hit a thrifty.479 attack percentage for Central, who managed just .215 as a team. SPU hit .243.

The Wildcats’ Null finished the evening with 13 kills while Branch had 11. Setter Kate Reome assisted 56-times while Tiffany Butac dished out 50 assists for SPU.

The Falcons (6-5 GNAC, 10-9) play their next match at home versus Western Washington on Saturday night (Oct. 23). Official start time is scheduled for 7PM.