Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 LA MIRADA, Calif. – Opening the 2014 season against two Top-10 teams, the College of Idaho earned a split of matches on Day 1 of the Red Lion-Anaheim Summer Slam.
Early in the day, Emily Ottinger recorded a match-high 20 kills, leading the College of Idaho to a season opening five-set victory over seventh-ranked Midland University. However, defending national runner-up and host Biola claimed a three-set victory over the Yotes in the featured evening match-up.
C OF I 3, MIDLAND 2The No. 18 ranked Lady Yotes (1-0) won the first two sets before rallying in Set 5 to claim the 28-26, 25-21, 19-25, 19-25, 16-14 victory. It was the highest-ranked opponent C of I has defeated since claiming wins against No. 5 Biola and No. 6 Rocky Mountain during the 2011 season.
Set 5 saw the Warriors (2-1) sprint out to a 6-2 lead, but the Yotes got a pair of kills from sophomore Katy Robinson in a 5-1 run to even the score. C of I took their biggest lead of the frame at 11-9, but MU used a combo-block from Heather Pribyl and Ashlee Harms to earn match point at 14-13. However, the Coyotes forced back-to-back MU hitting errors, then got a service ace from Emilee Chapman to win the match.
The back-and-forth match began with a wild first set, as 16 ties and eight lead changes put Midland on top 22-18 after a C of I error. Kylie Porter, who had a career-high 13 kills in the victory, led the rally for the Yotes, logging back-to-back kills on a 6-1 run to put the Purple and Gold on top, 24-23. A Pribyl stuff block gave MU a 25-24 lead, but the Yotes responded with a pair of Ottinger kills and a Sierra Porter ace, to end the set.
The Yotes jumped out to a 12-3 lead in Set 2, but watched as Midland used four blocks in a 16-6 run to lead 19-18. Once again, C of I answered the call, as a Ottinger kill and a combo-block from Robinson and Jenessa Koelliker gave the Yotes a lead they would not relinquish, with a Liz Trenkel ace closing the frame.
MU would not go away – using a four-point surge to break a 6-6 tie in Set 3, extending the margin to 20-12 for the easy win. The Warriors scored 11 of the first 13 points of Set 4 and staved off a late C of I push to force the final set.
Abbey Fenton had a career-high nine kills; Koelliker had eight kills in her C of I debut; Sierra Porter had eight kills, 48 assists, and nine digs; and Cheyan Coburn recorded a team-high 20 digs in the victory.
Harms led MU with 16 kills and nine blocks, with setter Megan Farley recording 44 assists, and Molly Pettit recording 22 digs in the loss.
BIOLA 3, C OF I 0Alyssa Mason had 12 kills and Amy Weststeyn added 11 kills, as Biola hit at a stellar .446 clip to defeat the Lady Yotes 25-21, 25-20, 25-11.
Set 1 was back-and-forth, recording 12 ties, before Weststeyn and Mason each had a kill in a three-point surge to break open a 20-19 score and give the hosts the opening set win.
The middle set was more of the same, as the Yotes got a Robinson kill to get within 17-16, but the Eagles used a 5-1 run to take the two-set lead. BU dominated the third set, using a 16-2 run midway through the period to complete the sweep.
Kylie Porter had 13 kills in the loss, with Sierra Porter recording 28 assists, and Kilee Lopez leading the team with five digs.
C of I closes out their California trip with matches tomorrow vs. Cal State San Marcos and Rocky Mountain.
