CALDWELL, Idaho – Rebounding from a tough loss on Thursday night, the College of Idaho hammered down 43 kills and recorded a season-high .376 hitting percentage in a three-set sweep of Walla Walla University inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
The Lady Yotes (12-6, 7-3 CCC) closed out the first half of the Cascade Conference season with the 25-8, 25-11, 25-20 victory, remaining unbeaten all-time against WWU.
C of I recorded 11 aces in the victory and limited the Wolves (0-10, 0-9) to a .048 attack percentage.
The hosts scored the first eight points of the match – dominating the set, as
Mackenzie Keating,
Jackie van Vliet and
Taylor Alexander each had three kills for the Yotes.
WWU took a 3-1 lead in Set 2 on the strength of two Morgan Doyle kills, but the Yotes answered with 10 consecutive points – including two Keating kills and four
Margie Beeler aces – to pull away.
The Wolves hung tough in Set 3, using a four-point push to take a 12-10 lead and were square with the Coyotes at 19-19 after an Emilee Clark ace. C of I turned to van Vliet, ripping three straight winners along with a combo-block, to close out the victory.
Van Vliet led all players with 12 kills and five blocks, while Beeler recorded 13 assists, seven digs and seven aces – the most by a C of I player this season. Alexander and Keating each had eight kills, with
Danielle Neuman adding a career-high seven kills on just 10 swings.
Drew Dobney led all players with 16 digs.
Lauren Barlow and Caldora Blackburn led WWU with five kills, with Krista Schafer recording 15 assists and Erika Dudar finishing with 11 digs.
C of I opens up the second half of the CCC season next weekend with a tough road trip to No. 9-ranked Southern Oregon and Oregon Tech.
