CALDWELL, Idaho –
Ashley Pagan became just the fourth College of Idaho player in program history to record 25 kills in a four-set match, leading the Lady Yotes to a victory over Northwest University inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
The junior had 25 kills, 14 digs and three aces in the 25-9, 25-23, 22-25, 25-20 victory for the No. 14 ranked Yotes (9-4, 4-1 CCC) – their 15th-straight home win over NU. Pagan joins head coach
Liz Mendiola, Kristyn Price and Tara Reinke as the only C of I players to record 25 kills in a four-set match – Mendiola and Reinke accomplishing the feat once, Price recording six such matches, including a 27-kill performance against Western Baptist in 2002.
C of I dominated Set 1 – hitting at a .407 clip – getting four
Jackie van Vliet blocks in an ending 12-2 run to cruise to the win.
The Eagles (5-8, 1-3) battled back from a 12-7 deficit in Set 2, as Keann White had five kills in a 15-6 run to take a 22-18 lead. C of I turned to Pagan, who had 11 kills in the set alone, scoring five of the next six points for the Yotes to regain the lead, with a NU hitting error handing the hosts the win.
NU stayed alive with a Set 3 win, using an 11-3 run midway through the period to erase a 9-5 C of I lead – surviving a late Coyote run with consecutive White kills to break away from a 23-22 score.
Set 4 was back and forth, as the Eagles stormed to leads of 4-0 and 9-5, before the Yotes found their rhythm. Aces by Pagan and
Marija Djonovic and three
Taylor Alexander kills keyed an 18-6 surge to secure the win.
Alexander had 13 kills, eight digs and three blocks and van Vliet had 10 kills and five blocks in the win. Djonovic logged 55 assists and 14 digs, with
Drew Dobney recording a career-high 26 digs.
White led NU with 14 kills, with setter Sienna Alvarez finishing with 17 assists and libero Cristina Hegarty adding 14 digs.
The Yotes close out the weekend tomorrow with at 5 p.m. match vs. Evergreen.
