Box Score
CALDWELL, Idaho – For the sixth time in the past nine seasons, The College of Idaho claimed the Cascade Conference Championships title, as the Lady Yotes earned a hard-fought 25-20, 25-27, 25-14, 25-17 victory over Concordia University.
With the victory, the Coyotes (18-9) claim the CCC's automatic berth to the NAIA Championships, their sixth-straight trip to Nationals.
Early on, the Cavaliers (22-7) used three early blocks, including a solo block from Brianna Hogan, as CU built a 10-5 lead in Set 1. The visitors led 15-10 after a Jackie Stein kill, but two Liz Myers kills and a pair of C of I combo blocks helped the Yotes rattle off six-straight points to take the lead. After a Melanie Miller kill evened the score, Emily Ottinger pounded down three-straight kills for the Yotes, an C of I never trailed in the set again.
Set 2 featured 13 ties, with a Hogan kill knotting the score at 20-20 – starting a three-point CU run. The Yotes would stave off three Cavalier set points – the final one at 25-24, before an attack error and a Stein kill off a block allowed CU to even the match at one set apiece.
The Coyote attack took over in Set 3, pounding out 17 kills. C of I led 10-9, but three Kylie Porter kills helped the Yotes end the period on a 15-5 surge to take the overall lead.
CU jumped out to a quick 10-6 lead in Set 4, but the Yotes chipped away at the deficit, pulling even at 13-13 on a hitting error. Three consecutive Cavalier errors gave C of I the lead, with a big combo-block from Myers and Lili Brochado extending the Yotes lead to 22-16 – with the winning point coming off a CU hitting miscue.
Myers had 16 kills and seven blocks for the Yotes, with Ottinger recording 16 kills and Brochado adding 14 kills and five blocks. Sierra Porter had seven kills, 55 assists, and eight digs, with Janel Porter leading all players with 32 digs.
Hogan led CU with 16 kills, with Stein adding 10 kills and a pair of blocks. Setter Lindsay Mangan had 42 kills and nine digs in the loss, with Ashley Jibby leading the visitors with 11 digs.
