Coyotes Topple Bellevue and L-C to Remain Unbeaten

BUTTE, Mont. – For the second-straight season, the College of Idaho completed a perfect trip to the Big Sky Challenge inside Butte Civic Center, defeating No. 20 Bellevue and in-state rival Lewis-Clark State on the final day of competition.
 
The Lady Yotes (8-0) extended their school-record win streak to start a season to eight with a 22-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-15 victory over BU and dominating L-C State 25-17, 25-18, 25-16.  C of I and conference rival Eastern Oregon were the only two unbeaten teams in the 17-team tournament.
 
In the early morning match, the Bruins (1-2) got nine first set kills from Shayla Scanlan to take an early lead, but C of I answered with an 11-4 run in Set 2 to take command, keyed by two kills each from Brenna Meehan, Alaina Slater and Taylor Alexander, evening the match.
 
Leading just 9-8 in Set 3, C of I forced five Bellevue errors in another 11-4 push to claim the set, while Ashley Pagan had three kills and a block in a Set 4 13-3 run to close out the victory.
 
Meehan and Jackie van Vliet each had 15 kills in the win, with Meehan adding 12 digs and van Vliet a team-high six blocks.  Pagan had 14 kills and 12 digs, with Alexander logging 11 kills and five blocks.  Marija Djonovic recorded a season-high 52 assists and Kilee Lopez had 26 digs.
 
Against LCSC (4-5), C of I did not trail in either of the first two sets – as Brielle Sheppeard had back-to-back aces in a late Set 1 push, with van Vliet and Pagan recording two kills apiece in a 7-2 opening run in Set 2. Kiara Skinner dominated Set 3 – recording four kills and four blocks in the victory.
 
Pagan had 10 kills and Alexander had eight kills to lead a balance C of I attack – as seven players had three or more kills.  Djonovic had 35 assists and Lopez finished with 11 digs.
 
C of I opens Cascade Conference play this weekend with a tough road swing to Southern Oregon and Oregon Tech.