Complete Box Score

ELLENSBURG, Wa. (Sep. 29) Crystal Ames had 13 kills and 19 digs to lead host Central Washington to a 3-0 sweep over Seattle Pacific in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match between nationally ranked programs.

The Wildcats (5-1 GNAC, 11-3), ranked No. 11 in NCAA II, moved into a tie for second place in the conference with the 16th-ranked Falcons (5-1, 11-4), who had a six-match win streak snapped. Game scores were 30-21, 30-26, 30-25. All four of SPU’s losses have been to nationally ranked teams.

The Falcons kept pace in the first two games, but the Cats made clutch plays down the stretch. Game 1 had 13 ties and six lead changes alone, before CWU used a 11-4 lead to pull away. In Game two, there were 12 ties and three lead changes as SPU led early and as late as a 22-21 advantage. The Wildcats then scored nine of the final 13 points to pull ahead 2-0 in the match. The Wildcats carried the momentum of an 8-0 run midway through Game 3 to overcome a 14-11 deficit and fended off the Falcons from there.

Alyssa Given (So., 5-10, Salinas, Ca./Notre Dame) was the only SPU player in double figures with 10 kills. She also had 11 digs. Rachel Biornstad (Fr., 6-0, Kent, Wa./Kentlake) and Angie Wodrich (So., 5-10, Richland, Wa.) had nine kills and three blocks apiece. Wodrich also had 14 digs.

Ames also hit for a .314 percentage and led the Wildcats to advantages of 57-38 in kills and .241 to .151 in team hitting. Cristina Null led all players with 15 kills and hit .310 for the match. Central also got 12 kills from Kristin Pasley on .360 hitting and 12 digs.

The Falcons, led by eight block assists from Katie Ralph (Sr., 6-0, Port Orchard, Wa./South Kitsap), tried to keep pace defensively with 11.5 team blocks. Central, however, turned to its big three hitters to secure the win.

The Falcons take on Western Washington in a GNAC match Saturday in Bellingham at 2:00 p.m.

Central Washington def. Seattle Pacific 30-21,30-26,30-25
Seattle Pacific (11-4, 5-1 GNAC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Given,Alyssa 10-2-1; Wodrich,Angie 9-0-3; Biornstad,Rachel 9-0-3; Myers,Chelsey 7-0-3; Von Moos,Jenna 2-0-3; Gihring,Shelby 1-0-2; Ralph,Katie 0-1-8; Totals 38-3-11.5. (Assists) - Von Moos,Jenna 30. (Dig leaders) – Von Moos,Jenna 14; Wodrich,Angie 14; Given,Alyssa 11; Mount,Torii 10; Butac,Tiffany 8
Central Washington (11-3, 5-1 GNAC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Null,Cristina 15-1-4; Ames,Crystal 13-2-0; Pasley,Kristin 12-0-3; McGahuey,LeAnne 9-1-1; Stevens,Erika 7-1-1; Dollente,Lindsey 1-1-0; Krahn,Sophie 0-0-1; Totals 57-6-5.0. (Assists) - Dollente,Lindsey 46. (Dig leaders) - Scheidt,Darcy 22; Ames,Crystal 19; Stevens,Erika 13; Pasley,Kristin 12
Site: Ellensburg, WA (Nicholson Pavilion). Date: Sep 29, 2005. Attend: 374. Time: 1:27. Referees: Virginia Hays, Tami Warren. Great Northwest Athletic Conference match.