SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Bailee Kendall had a season-high 18 kills helping the College of Idaho defeat No. 15 Georgetown College to close pool play at the NAIA Volleyball National Championships, however, Concordia-Irvine ended the Yotes season later in the evening in a one-set tiebreaker.
The Lady Yotes (22-12), Georgetown, and Concordia all finished with a 2-1 record in Pool C - with GC advancing based on the top sets won/lost record against the two remaining tied teams. C of I and CUI were forced to play a single set to 25 to determine the second berth to bracket play - with the No. 3 ranked Eagles defeating the Yotes, 25-17, ending C of I's season.
Hannah Andrews had four kills and Concordia-Irvine recorded five team blocks in the tiebreaking set, the first at the NAIA Championships since 2012.
The Eagles (33-3) jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the tiebreak, with the Yotes closing the gap to 12-8 on a Kendall kill and a CUI hitting error. C of I was within 21-16 after a Katy Robinson kill, but two Andrews spikes in a three-point push gave the 2012 NAIA Champs match point, using a quick hit to the middle to end the match.
Four hours earlier, a 23-25, 26-24, 26-24, 21-25, 15-12 victory over Georgetown kept C of I's season alive.
After the Tigers (31-11) won Set 4 to force the 14th fifth-set match played this season by C of I, the Yotes opened with a pair of Kendall kills to take a 4-1 lead. GC battled back, as a pair of Caraline Maher kills and a Coyote error gave the Kentucky team their lone lead of the period at 7-6. All square at 12-12, the 11th service error of the night gave C of I a side out, with a quick hit after a long rally by Sierra Porter giving the Yotes match point. Following a timeout, Kylie Porter ended the match with a kill, giving the Coyotes their sixth-straight win in a five-set match.
Kylie Porter had 16 kills, Emily Ottinger had 15 kills in her final collegiate match, with Robinson recording 13 kills and four blocks – as C of I recorded their second 70-kill match of the postseason. Sierra Porter had 58 assists and 13 digs, with Kilee Lopez leading the team with 18 digs.
The Tigers, coming off a sweep last night of Concordia, opened the match on a 12-5 run, only to watch C of I get four kills from Kylie Porter in a 13-7 push that gave the Yotes a 20-19 lead. GC broke a 22-22 tie with Courtney Grafton's lone kill of the match, ending the set on a Maher spike.
Set 2 was back-and-forth, as two kills from Robinson and Kendall staked the Yotes out to an 11-7 lead. The Tigers scored 10 of the next 13 points, including three Jenny Howell kills, to grab a 17-14 advantage. GC had set point at 24-23, but a service error was followed by back-to-back Ottinger kills to help C of I even the match.
Five C of I hitting errors and three Howell kills helped GC to an 12-4 lead in Set 3, but the Yotes returned the favor, getting four Kendall kills and three tandem blocks from Robinson and Janessa Koelliker in a 11-3 run to give C of I the lead. GC would fight off a pair of set points for the Yotes, before a Koelliker kill and a Tiger error ended the set.
A 6-1 run by the Coyotes midway through Set 4 gave C of I a 15-13 lead. Trailing 20-19, two Allyson Wilbourn kills and two Mariah Tesarz aces helped GC end the set on a 6-1 run of their own to force the fifth set.
Maher led all players with 19 kills, with Howell notching 14 kills and both Wilbourn and Kaysie Massie recording 10 kills. Setter Stephanie Gurren led the Tigers with 35 assists and 14 digs.
