SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Playing their 13th five-set match of the season, the College of Idaho rallied from an 11-10 Set 5 deficit to outlast No. 10 ranked Midland University at the NAIA Volleyball National Championships, presented by J&L Enterprises, inside Tyson Events Center.
The 19-25, 25-19, 25-12, 19-25, 16-14 victory improves the Yotes (21-12) to 1-1 in Pool C play heading into the final day of round-robin action. C of I meets the lone unbeaten in the four-team grouping, Georgetown (Ky.) at 4:45 p.m. (MT) tomorrow.
In the decisive set, two of a career-high 10 block assists by Kylie Porter helped C of I build a 7-5 lead. The Warriors (24-10) answered back, scoring four-straight points, including two Ashlee Harms kills, to take their final lead at 11-10. The Yotes earned match point at 14-13 after an Emily Ottinger kill, but a side-out kept MU's chances alive. Following a lengthy rally, Ottinger spiked home a winner, with a Janessa Koelliker kill ending the match.
"Where we were lacking in defense, we made up for it today," said head coach Liz Mendiola. "I am so proud of the way these girls stepped up against a very good team."
Ottinger led the way offensively for the fifth-straight match, pounding a team-high 17 kills, with Katy Robinson tying a career-high with 13 kills. The Yotes held a potent MU attack to a .163 attack percentage and tied a season-high with 13 total blocks.
Harms, who led the Warriors with 18 kills on 55 swings, had four kills in the opening set, including two in a 6-2 run to break a 9-9 tie, leading MU to the set win.
C of I rode Porter in Set 2, as Porter had three kills in a 7-2 run that erased a MU 11-8 lead. Cheyan Coburn added a pair of aces in a six-point surge that broke a 15-15 tie to help even the match.
Set 3 was all C of I, as Porter combined on a pair of blocks in a six-point run to take a 10-5 lead. The Yotes forced five Warrior hitting errors in extending the margin to 20-10.
The Warriors used their block in Set 4 to force the final frame, as three-straight Heather Pribyl block assists gave MU a 10-5 lead. A pair of Ottinger kills helped the Yotes get even at 13-13, before three Erin Sorahan kills started a 7-1 run to end the set.
Bailee Kendall had nine kills, Sierra Porter had 49 assists and four blocks, with Kilee Lopez recording 27 digs in the victory for C of I. The Coyotes improved to 8-5 in five-set matches and have now won their last five five-set encounters.
Sorahan had 14 kills for the Warriors, with setter Megan Farley adding 44 assists and 16 digs.
A C of I win tomorrow against Georgetown keeps the Yotes alive in the tournament – earning a spot in the single-elimination bracket if Midland defeats Concordia in the late match. A win by C of I and a Concordia win create a three-way tie for first, forcing a single-set playoff (to be determined by the games committee) to determine the two teams advancing to the championship round.
