It may have looked on paper like another routine 3-0 sweep by the eighth best volleyball team in the country but this game was far from that.

After the nationally rank University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves (UAA) controlled the first set winning 25-19, hell broke loose the rest of the game.

CWU started off the second set leading 5-0 and remained in control for most of the set eventually extending their lead to 17-10. The Seawolves won five of the next six points.

“I think the lead dwindled because … we missed some opportunities but I also thought [Alaska] Anchorage methodically scored two out of three against us and climbed their way back,” head coach Mario Andaya said.

The Wildcats were one point away from winning the second set, but after the Seawolves tied the game the two teams went back-and-forth until UAA scored two straight points to win the second set 31-29.

“We ran out of subs so we were stuck with our small setter in the front and they saw that, they exposed it,” Andaya said. “They fought through it much as they could.”

A controversial double hit call on CWU ended the second set.

“To end the set like that on a ball handling call when that wasn’t called all night, it’s horrible,” Andaya said.

After the call Andaya immediately slammed his clipboard onto the ground and for that he received a yellow card.

“She’s right, I threw my clipboard I shouldn’t do that,” Andaya said.

The Wildcats continued to dominate play when the intermission was over. CWU had three different four point leads.

“The third set [we] really got after them offensively,” senior outside hitter Kiah Jones said.

With CWU up 18-14 the Seawolves scored four of the next six points tying the game at 20-20. The game was looking to be over when UAA got the score game point at 24-22, but the Wildcats came back to earn their own match point at 25-24.

“Our resilience, our fight were really good,” Jones said.

The Wildcats continued to stay in the game continually fighting off match points but eventually lost 31-29.

“Just to unravel at times when we needed to be at our best that’s the frustrating part and that’s where the team needs to learn,” Andaya said.

Andaya attributed many missed opportunities to going over the net, not knowing where the setter was and missed serves.

CWU had trouble containing senior setter Morgan Hooe in the first set where she assisted on 11 of the Seawolves 18 kills.

“Morgan Hooe is one of the best setters in our conference and we knew what she was going to do, we knew her game plan and it’s still hard to play against her because she’s really good,” Jones said. “But I think after the first set we did a better job containing her.”

Hooe finished with 52 of UAA’s 60 assists.

For CWU, freshman setters Gaby Aihara and Nikole Cook combined for 24 assists.

Central will get a rematch up in Alaska on November 12.

“We’re going to face them again and it’s going to be a lot harder up at their place,” senior middle blocker Erin Little said.

On Tap:

The Wildcats will be facing Alaska Fairbanks (2-14, 1-4 GNAC) on Saturday at 7 p.m. apart of Homecoming weekend.

“[Alaska] Fairbanks is going to come playing tough … they’re scrappy,” Andaya said.