NAMPA, Idaho – Abby Black reached the 1,000-career-kill milestone on Saturday afternoon as Northwest Nazarene volleyball fell to Central Washington in straight sets (25-14, 25-20, 25-20) at the Johnson Sports Center.
Black led the Nighthawks with a match-high 14 kills, becoming the latest NNU player to reach the 1,000-kill mark. The senior also added four digs and three total blocks in the milestone performance.
The Wildcats came out strong in the opening set, recording 18 kills on a .471 hitting percentage to take a 25-14 victory. NNU tallied 11 kills in the frame but was unable to match Central Washington's offensive efficiency.
Northwest Nazarene improved offensively in the second set, hitting .172 with 10 kills while holding the Wildcats to a .214 hitting percentage. Despite the improvement, Central Washington claimed the frame 25-20 to take a two-set advantage.
The Nighthawks continued to battle in the third set, but Central Washington closed out the match with another 25-20 victory to complete the sweep.
Alongside Black's milestone performance, Madison Cheney contributed seven kills on a .278 hitting percentage, while Hailey Cheney added three kills and five total blocks. Morgan Wilding directed the offense with 25 assists.
Defensively, Kayci Spray and Whitleigh Walsh each collected 13 digs, while Lexi Douthit added 10 digs and two service aces.
Central Washington was led by Kailey Willsey, who recorded nine kills on a .643 hitting percentage with six total blocks. Ellie Marble and Corinne Westby each added eight kills.
With the result, Northwest Nazarene moves to 13-10 overall and 7-9 in GNAC play, while Central Washington improves to 18-4 overall and 14-2 in conference action.
By the Numbers:
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Abby Black led the Nighthawks with 14 kills, reaching the 1,000-career-kill milestone. She also added four digs and three total blocks.
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Madison Cheney recorded seven kills while hitting .278.
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Hailey Cheney finished with five total blocks, including two solo blocks.
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Morgan Wilding dished out 25 assists and added a service ace.
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Kayci Spray and Whitleigh Walsh each tallied 13 digs, while Lexi Douthit added 10 digs and two service aces.
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NNU totaled 29 kills, 46 digs, 13 total blocks and four service aces.
