BURNABY, B.C. – The Simon Fraser volleyball team improved its winning streak to five matches and moved into sole possession of third place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings after a 3-0 triumph over Central Washington Thursday night in Burnaby, B.C.
The West Gym crowd was treated to a solid all-around performance by SFU, which won by set scores of 25-19, 25-20, and 25-15. The team had 45 kills to 21 for the Wildcats, and finished the match ahead 6-1 on service aces.
SFU improved its record to 13 wins and four losses, and 7-3 in GNAC play. Coming into Thursday's action, SFU, Alaska, and Central Washington were all tied for third place with 6-4 league records. Alaska dropped its contest tonight at Montana State Billings.
Canada's NCAA team also earned the season split against the Wildcats, who swept their Sept. 25 contest in Ellensburg, Washington.
"Tonight was definitely a full team effort on both sides of the ball," said SFU head coach
Gina Schmidt. "We did a good job on serve receive, which allowed all of our hitters to be options. Central Washington game-planned against Brooke (Dexter) pretty well, so when they were taking that away, our middles and other hitters found ways to score so I thought everybody did a good job of stepping up when they needed to."
Sophomore outside hitter
Camryn Vosloh recorded 13 kills and 10 digs to lead SFU's offensive attack. Opposite
Brooke Dexter and outside hitter
Hanna Kolof, both freshmen, knocked down nine kills each. Dexter also had 11 digs. Sophomore middle blocker
Kalyn Hartmann was big at the net with five block assists to go with eight kills.
Senior setter
Julia Tays distributed the ball to the tune of 39 assists, while senior libero
Bianca Te had 15 digs to lead all players.
Ashley Kaufman and Marianna Payne had six kills apiece for Central Washington.
Payne got an early kill to give the visiting Wildcats a 6-5 lead in the opening set. But SFU replied with a run of five-consecutive points capped by a big combination block from Tays and freshman middle blocker
Abby Willett. Two Vosloh kills in a row made it 19-13, and gave the home side a comfortable margin. CWU closed to 22-19 but a Dexter kill and two from Kolof clinched the first set.
The second set had an entertaining, back-and-forth start. The Wildcats went up 8-7 before SFU won the next three points. CWU jumped back ahead later in the set 13-12 with a four-point streak. The set was tied 16-16 before a Hartmann kill, an attack error, a Vosloh kill, and a service ace from sophomore
Kalissa Beltran combined to give the home side a 20-16 edge. The Wildcats got within a point (21-20), but SFU again responded by taking the final four, with the last three coming on junior outside hitter
Tyra Anderson's serve.
SFU pushed that momentum straight into the third set, winning 10 of the first 13 points. The margin was too big for CWU to overcome, and an 8-2 run by SFU increased the lead to 22-13. Fittingly, Vosloh brought the contest to a conclusion with a kill down the left sideline.
SFU will look to extend its five-match winning streak when it hosts Northwest Nazarene Saturday at 1 p.m. at the West Gym.
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