ELLENSBURG, WA — Saint Martin's Volleyball (6-19, 4-13 GNAC) started the final week of the 2024 season by traveling east to take on the Central Washington Wildcats.

In the first set, the Wildcats would find their rhythm early on offense. Kingsley Mason would get points on the board with a pair of kills to open the set, but Central Washington would respond with ten consecutive points to jump out to a 14-3 lead. Emily Garten and Emmy Hansen would contribute kills to attempt to even the score and would be aided by Aundrea Oxentine and Peyton Griffin, who would combine for 22 assists during the match. The Wildcats, however, would pull away quickly and claim the set, 25-10.

Even with the tough first set, the Saints would rebound in the second set by jumping out to an early 4-1 thanks to kills from Garten, Hansen, and Zoey Crimin. Garten and Hansen would both finish the match with six kills each and would only be topped by Mason, who finished the night with eight kills. The Saints would hold onto their lead thanks to points from Oxentine and Jennifer Soha, but the Wildcats would be able to even the score with their high-powered offense. Central Washington would score seven of the next nine points to claim a 16-12 lead, and while the Saints would show more fight late into the set, CWU would win it, 15-18. The third set would see a similar pace, with early service aces from Mason and Garten keeping the Saints in front in the beginning, but the Wildcats would again find their stride to pull away from the Saints and win 25-15. The defensive efforts would be anchored by Abigail Halstead, Tehani Yamashita, and Miami Arambula, who would each have five digs on the night.

The Saints finish the season against Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, November 23rd, in Nampa. Get tickets here.