By Christian Rodarte, September 15, 2026
Broncos’ volleyball earned its first home win of the season Thursday, Sept 3, defeating Central Washington 3-0 at the Kellogg Arena during the Bronco Classic.
The victory carried extra significance for the Broncos, who had not defeated Central Washington since 2007. The win snapped CPP’s five-game losing streak against the Wildcats, who entered the tournament ranked No. 21 nationally.
Coming off a loss to Concordia University Irvine, the Broncos focused on serving aggressively and controlling play at the net, a strategy middle blocker Alexia Athans said the team executed as intended.
“Our team is genuinely so bought into this program, to volleyball, that we took that loss with a heavy heart,” Athans said. “We focused not only on the things that we could have done better in the last match but also prepared for the future games. So, coming in, we knew exactly what to do.”
Central Washington opened the first set with a 5-1 lead, but CPP responded and tied the score at five. Later in the set, the Broncos scored five consecutive points and took control after a timeout. They finished the set with a 25-19 win.
The second set posed the biggest challenge for the Broncos, as Central Washington jumped out to a 3-0 lead and later held an 18-15 advantage before CPP began its comeback.
Libero Renee Nachtigall made a one-hand diving dig, keeping the Broncos alive. The Broncos carried that energy through a close back-and-forth to tie the score at 22 and won the set 25-23.
“In my head the ball is always coming to me,” Nachtigall said. “That’s the mindset that I have. It’s like muscle memory to me.”
Nachtigall said this is her first season playing libero and her focus has now shifted to passing. She appreciates that her teammates trust her to find the ball and make digs from the back row because the position does not allow her to attack above the net.
“Renee had really good body control tonight, almost right under the net taking a ball,” head coach Traci Dahl said.
Dahl highlights critical aspects of Nachtigall, the team’s libero, who often must stay ready to counter kills from their opponents, keeping the play alive and giving the Broncos another chance to score.
The momentum shifts were the key to the entire match. Not only did the players’ energy bounce off each other, but it fueled more aggressive attacks from the hitters.
“In my eyes, when I’m going up for a ball anytime, I’m 100% committed on being aggressive in seeing the court,” Athans said. ” If I didn’t get the kill the first time, I’m committed on playing to win, so I’m going to hit the ball harder and find the spot where it’s open.”
The third set remained close until the end. The Broncos used a 7-2 run to take the lead, but Central Washington responded and tied the set at 19. Libero Nachtigall kept the rally alive with a dig that found Athans, who finished the play with a kill. CPP carried the advantage through the closing points and won the set 25-23 to complete the 3-0 sweep.
“These guys did a nice job executing each segment of the game plan,” Dahl said. “Our serving pressure today was really good, our blocking pressure was there, and our passing pressure was there. Those were three areas we really wanted to improve on.”
As of Sept. 7, CPP is nationally ranked No.17 in NCAA Division II with a record of 6-1, according to American Volleyball Coaches Association.