SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Jessica Israel and Hannah Andrews each had 17 kills, helping No. 3 ranked Concordia-Irvine hold off the College of Idaho in four sets on Day 1 of the NAIA Volleyball National Championships, presented by J&L Enterprises, inside Tyson Events Center.
The Eagles (32-2), with their 25-20, 25-16, 23-25, 25-23 victory, join Georgetown (Ky.) as unbeaten teams in Pool C play after the opening day.
"Overall, our defense just wasn't good enough to win the match," said C of I head coach Liz Mendiola. "Fortunately, we get another shot tomorrow."
After winning the first two sets CUI watched as the Lady Yotes (20-12) jumped out to an 8-1 lead, but the 2012 NAIA champs methodically closed the gap, tying the score at 22-22 on a Taylor Dennison ace. C of I would not budge, as kills by Emily Ottinger and Bailee Kendall, sandwiched around a Eagles hitting error, forced Set 4.
In Set 4, C of I sprinted to a 5-2 lead, but watched as the Eagles took advantage of six Coyote errors in a 10-4 run to take a 12-9 lead. A Reanna Schelhaas kill gave CUI a 21-17 lead, but two Kendall kills and a spike from Katy Robinson got the Yotes within 21-20. An Andrews kill gave the Eagles match point, but after a pair of errors, an Amber Rose kill gave the Pool C top seed the win.
Israel hit at a .483 clip for CUI – part of a 59-kill attack. Jenee Henderson had 27 assists and 11 digs, with Jordan Smith leading the Eagles with 15 digs.
C of I played strong early in Set 1, as the two teams played to eight ties, with the Yotes grabbing a 12-10 lead on a Janessa Koelliker stuff block. The Eagles answered in a big way, using an 8-1 run to take a 18-13 edge. A Robinson kill got the Coyotes within 19-17, but three-straight C of I hitting errors helped Concordia close out the period. Set 2 was all CUI, as Israel pounded out three kills in a 13-4 run to open the frame.
Ottinger led the Yotes with her first double-double of the season, recording 12 kills and 10 digs, with Koelliker notching 11 kills and a team-high three blocks. Robinson had 10 kills and two blocks; Kendall had eight kills, with Sierra Porter recording seven kills, 42 assists and four digs.
Day 2 of play begins tomorrow at 5:45 p.m. (CT) as Concordia meets Georgetown, while C of I meets Midland (Neb.) at 8 p.m. (CT)
