NAMPA, Idaho — Northwest Nazarene volleyball hits the road for a single GNAC matchup this week, traveling to Ellensburg, Washington, to take on RV Central Washington on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 1 p.m. Pacific time. The Nighthawks enter the matchup at 10-5 overall and 4-4 in GNAC play after splitting a pair of home matches last week.

NNU opened the weekend with a five-set battle against Seattle Pacific on Thursday, falling 3-2 after taking the Falcons to the deciding set. The Nighthawks responded with a strong all-around performance on Saturday, sweeping Montana State Billings 3-0 to close the weekend with a win and move back to .500 in conference play.

Nighthawks' Season So Far:

The Nighthawks' offense continues to be led by Abby Black, who has recorded 224 kills through 15 matches and is averaging 3.80 kills per set and 4.31 points per set while hitting .256. Black has also contributed 170 digs and 24 blocks on the season.

Hailey Cheney has been one of NNU's most efficient attackers, hitting a team-best .359 while averaging 1.80 kills per set. Jenna Holm is hitting .297 with 1.19 kills per set, while Maddy Hellem is adding 1.96 kills per set. Lily Kinloch has contributed 1.45 kills per set, and Madison Cheney is averaging 1.38 kills per set.

Morgan Wilding leads the Nighthawks' setting effort with 5.22 assists per set, while Addison Lynn has added 245 assists and averages 4.54 assists per set. At the service line, NNU is averaging 1.83 aces per set, with Hailey Cheney leading the team with 28 aces.

Defensively, Kayci Spray continues to anchor the back row, leading NNU with 250 digs and averaging 4.24 digs per set. Black follows with 2.88 digs per set, while Whitleigh Walsh has added 2.22 digs per set.

At the net, Holm leads the Nighthawks with 56 total blocks and 0.95 blocks per set. Cheney has added 54 blocks, while Kinloch has 33 and Madison Cheney has 27. As a team, NNU is averaging 2.14 blocks per set while holding opponents to 1.88 blocks per set.

The Nighthawks are hitting .206 as a team while holding opponents to a .175 attack percentage. NNU is averaging 11.66 kills, 10.63 assists and 15.59 digs per set while opponents are averaging 11.86 kills and 15.47 digs per set.

Last week's matches also featured a milestone for Spray, who recorded her 1,000th career dig during NNU's five-set battle with Seattle Pacific. The Nighthawks then received contributions throughout the lineup in Saturday's sweep of Montana State Billings, with Tatum Swapp providing a spark in the middle and Holm and Addison Lynn combining for the final block that sealed the sweep.

Central Washington

Central Washington enters Saturday's matchup at 10-4 overall and 6-2 in GNAC play. The Wildcats have won six straight matches and have taken 18 consecutive sets heading into Saturday's matchup.

CWU opened last weekend with a 3-0 sweep of Montana State Billings before earning another straight-set victory over Seattle Pacific. The Wildcats' sweep of Seattle Pacific included a 39-37 second set, tying the NCAA Division II record for the most points in a single set.

Central has been one of the conference's most efficient offensive teams this season, hitting .241 as a team while averaging 13.05 kills and 12.07 assists per set. The Wildcats are also averaging 2.33 blocks per set and holding opponents to a .168 attack percentage.

The Wildcats have received strong contributions from Corinne Westby, Ellie Marble and Kailey Willsey offensively, while Kayleigh-Shay Chang directs the offense from the setter position and Brooklyn Parker anchors the back row.

Central's current six-match winning streak includes straight-set victories over Alaska Anchorage, Alaska Fairbanks, Western Oregon, Saint Martin's, Montana State Billings and Seattle Pacific. The Wildcats have not dropped a set since Sept. 17.

All-time vs. Central Washington:

The Nighthawks are 16-33 all-time against Central Washington in Division II play. The Wildcats have won the last seven meetings, including a pair of 3-0 victories over NNU during the 2025 season.

NNU's last win over the Wildcats came on Sept. 10, 2022, when the Nighthawks earned a 3-0 victory in Nampa.

The Nighthawks and Wildcats will meet for the first time this season Saturday at Nicholson Arena, with first serve set for 1 p.m. Pacific time.