BUTTE, Mont. - Closing out the non-conference portion of their schedule, the College of Idaho volleyball team defeated Montana Tech and lost to The Masters on the final day of the Big Sky Challenge at Sampson Court.
The Yotes (2-6) earned a 28-26, 17-25, 25-14, 28-26 win over the Orediggers, but dropped a tough 25-14, 9-25, 25-23, 23-25, 16-14 match-up with the Mustangs.
In Match 1, C of I rode the back Abbey Fenton and Kylie Porter in the victory, as Fenton recorded 20 kills and 12 digs, with Porter adding 18 kills and a season-high six blocks.
Set 1 was a see-saw frame, as the Yotes watched a 14-9 lead evaporate thanks to an 8-2 Tech run. Â MT held three set points, but the Yotes struck back with kills from Fenton and Randi Sturtz and a Fenton-Jackie van Vliet block ending the set.
The hosts rolled in Set 2, taking advantage of three C of I errors in a six-point run to erase an early Yote lead and were never headed. Â The Coyotes turned the tide in Set 3, getting two kills and a block each from Porter and Sturtz in an 11-4 surge to open the set.
The Diggers were in command of Set 4, leading 24-21, but three-straight Porter kills tied the score, and back-to-back Tech errors handed C of I the match.
Sturtz finished with nine kills and three blocks; Sierra Porter had 56 assists and 12 digs; with Kilee Lopez finishing with 17 digs. Â Sydney Norris had 14 kills and 11 digs for MT.
In the evening, C of I and TMC played a grueling five-set marathon. Â In the deciding set, the Mustangs grabbed a 9-4 lead, but C of I got a quality service run from Liz Trenkel, scoring six-straight points (including two aces), to regain the lead. Â The California club answered to earn match point at 14-11, but Katy Robinson hammered two kills, part of a three-point C of I run, to square the match. Â Unfortunately for the Purple and Gold, kills from Morgan Koch and Aubrey Pyburn allowed TMC to escape with the win.
The two teams traded lopsided set wins in the first two games - TMC using a 10-1 run to break a 12-12 tie in Set 1, while the Yotes scored 13-of-14 points early in Set 2.
The Yotes had command of Set 3, leading 20-15, but the Mustangs closed on a 10-3 run to steal the set, while C of I countered in Set 4, ending the set on an 8-1 run to erase a 22-17 Masters lead.
Fenton had 16 kills and 14 digs; Robinson and Sturtz each had 12 kills; with Sierra Porter clocking in with 42 assists and 11 digs. Â Koch and Pyburn each had 13 kills for TMC.
C of I opens Cascade Conference play on Thursday, hosting No. 6 ranked Eastern Oregon at 7 p.m.
