Box Score #6 Wayne State 3 #16 Central Missouri 1

            #6 Wayne State used 18 kills and 21 digs from Katie Hughes along with a career-high 21 kills from Elizabeth Gebhardt to defeat #16 Central Missouri 17-25, 26-24, 25-14 and 25-22 Thursday evening in the first round of the NCAA Central Regional in Duluth, Minnesota.  The Wildcats improve to 27-6 on the season while Central Missouri's season ends with a record of 22-9.
            The first set began as a back and forth affair between the Jennies and the Wildcats with seven ties in the set but with the score tied at 16-16 Central Missouri used a 9-1 run to close out the set and win 25-17.  Central Missouri held Wayne State to just a .098 hitting percentage in the set while hitting .293 in the set with just two attack errors.
            Wayne State jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead to open the second set highlighted by two double blocks by Alex Opperman and Gebhardt as well as two kills by Michaela Mestl.  After a small run by the Jennies, the Wildcats got their lead to 14-7 forcing Central Missouri to call their first timeout of the set.  Out of the timeout, Central Missouri scored nine of the next 15 points to get the score back to 18-17.  The set was then back and forth to the end, but with the score 24-21 Central Missouri fought off three consecutive Wildcat set points to tie the set at 24-24 before Wayne State finished off the set behind two straight kills by Gebhardt to win set two 26-24.
            The third set started off much like the first set with five lead changes to start the set, but with the score tied 5-5 the Wildcats scored seven of the next nine points to take the 12-7 lead and never looked back.  The Wildcats finished the set on another big 13-7 run to win the third set 25-14, and to take the two sets to one advantage in the match.  Wayne State hit .344 for the set while holding Central Missouri to just a .088 attack percentage.
                In the fourth set the Wildcats used the momentum gained from the previous two sets to jump out to a quick 12-5 lead before the Jennies called their first timeout of the set.  Out of the timeout Wayne State continued their hot hitting extending their lead to 21-10. However Central Missouri wouldn't go without a fight.  The Jennies went on to score 10 of the next 12 points pulling as close as 23-20, but that is as close as they would get.  Wayne State went on to win the set 25-23, and the match three sets to one. 
            Wayne State hit just .195 in the match but held Central Missouri to just a .180 attack percentage.  The Wildcats also held a slight advantage in digs in the match, out digging the Jennies 109-97. However Central Missouri had more blocks than Wayne State in the match 10-6.  Wayne State also held a slight advantage in service aces in the match with seven to just four by Central Missouri. 
            Elizabeth Gebhardt led the Wildcats offensively with 21 kills in the match on just 44 swings for an attack percentage of .409.  Katie Hughes also tallied her 20^th double-double of the season with 18 kills and 21 digs.
            Defensively the Wildcats used a balanced approach but were led by sophomore Michaela Mestl with 38 digs in the match.  Junior libero Courtney VanGroningen added 27 digs in the match, freshman defensive specialist Riley Funk had 10 and junior setter Leisa McClintock accounted for 40 set assists in the match.
            Wayne State advances to the semi-finals of the Central Regional Friday evening in Duluth with a 7:30 matchup against top-seeded Minnesota Duluth, a 3-0 winner over Arkansas Tech Thursday evening.