BUTTE, Mont. –
Brenna Meehan recorded back-to-back double-doubles, leading the College of Idaho to a pair of victories over Top-15 opponents on Day 1 of the Big Sky Volleyball Challenge, inside the Butte Civic Center.
The Lady Yotes (3-3) picked up a 25-20, 25-20, 25-23 win over No. 15 ranked Rocky Mountain in the morning match, while in the afternoon, outlasted No. 8 ranked Vanguard 25-22, 25-17, 18-25, 25-19.
Meehan combined for 31 kills and 28 digs in the victories, with both
Jackie van Vliet and
Jayde Folsom recording career-high numbers in the win over VU.
Against Rocky (1-5), the Lady Yotes used a solid defensive effort – holding the Bears to a .135 attack percentage in the win.
C of I started quickly, getting a pair of
Ashley Pagan aces in a five-point surge to take a 7-2 lead, with consecutive
Randi Sturtz kills pushing the margin to 14-7. The Bears closed within 19-17 on a Coyote hitting error – but a Sturtz and
Alaina Slater combo block started a three point run the capped the set.
Set 2 was similar, as Meehan recorded four kills in an 8-2 push that built a 15-8 lead that was never relinquished.
Rocky had control of Set 3, leading 18-13, but two van Vliet blocks paced a 7-0 C of I run to regain the lead. Tied 23-23, Meehan blasted a cross-court winner, with
Kilee Lopez capping the match with an ace.
Meehan had 17 kills and a team-high 13 digs; Slater had 11 kills and three blocks; with van Vliet recording nine kills and four blocks. Folsom added 35 assists for the Yotes.
The middles were the key against Vanguard (0-6), as Van Vliet registered a career-high 14 kills and hitting at a .423 clip, while Slater added 12 kills and three blocks.
Set 1 was close, as the two teams were tied 21-21 late, but a Meehan kill and ace, plus kills from
Katy Robinson and van Vliet, closed out the period win for the Yotes. A 10-3 run in Set 2 gave the Coyotes a comfortable 16-8 lead that built a two-set advantage.
The Lions did not falter, rattling off a 13-3 surge in Set 3 to earn the set win, while C of I never trailed in Set 4, getting five Meehan kills to help close out the victory.
Meehan finished with 14 kills and 15 digs – as C of I hit at a season-high .270 percentage. Folsom had 49 assists – surpassing her career-high from the 2013 season – with Lopez recording 15 digs and Pagan adding 12.
The Lady Yotes close out tournament play on Saturday – meeting red-hot Montana Tech, along with Montana Western.
