Box Score NAMPA, Idaho – An epic match-up between Canyon County rival went the way of Northwest Nazarene, as the Crusaders outlasted the College of Idaho in five sets inside the Johnson Sports Center.
After NNU won the first two sets, C of I battled back to force a fifth set before the Division II school held on for a 25-15, 25-20, 25-27, 20-25, 15-9 win.
The Crusaders never trailed in the first two sets – opening Set 1 on a 10-3 run cruise to a set win, then forced the Yotes into 12 hitting errors in the second frame.
Set 3 had 12 ties and eight lead changes, with the Yotes taking a 24-21 lead on an Abbey Fenton kill, only to watch NNU score three straight points to extend the set. After two side outs, Emily Ottinger put down back-to-back kills to win the period for C of I.
In Set 4, the Yotes used a five-point surge early to take an 11-8 lead on an Ottinger kill, extending the lead to 17-12 on a Kilee Lopez ace, as C of I forced the Set 5 run to 15.
The two teams played even through the first 12 points of Set 5, but NNU took advantage of six consecutive errors by the Yotes to take a 12-6 lead and held on for their second-straight win over C of I.
Ottinger led the Yotes with 18 kills and nine digs, with Kylee Porter recording a career-high 14 kills and adding five blocks. Katy Robinson had a career-high 12 kills; Fenton had 11 kills; Sierra Porter recorded 55 assists and 16 digs; and Lopez had a career-high 21 digs.
Andrea Terpstra led NNU with 18 kills and five blocks, with Kendra Bodine recording 14 kills and Taylor Roberts helping with 19 digs.
The Yotes return to action next weekend at the Big Sky Challenge in Montana.
