CALDWELL, Idaho - Northwest Christian posted eight aces and 9.5 blocks as a team, using an efficient offensive night to stun No. 23 ranked College of Idaho in three sets inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
The Beacons (12-7, 4-6 CCC) never trailed by more than one point in any of the three sets, limiting C of I to a .060 attack percentage in the 25-16, 25-21, 25-20 win.
Jordyn Boswell had a match-high 14 kills and added four blocks for the Yotes (12-6, 7-4), who saw a three match win streak snapped. C of I did not hit above .070 in any set and recorded a 47-percent side-out percentage on the night.
NCU used a key 7-1 run in Set 1 to break open the set, as a stuff-block from Claire Salness helped the visitors take a 20-12 lead. The Beacons bolted to a 12-6 lead in Set 2, before the Yotes got a kill and an ace from
Ashley Pagan to pull within 13-11. C of I was within 19-17, but a Cambria Lingenfelder ace and a combo-block fueled a 5-1 run that put the set away.
A 5-0 run early in Set 3 gave the visitors a 6-2 lead - an edge they would not surrender. C of I would cut the gap to two points on six occasions - the last at 22-20, before two NCU kills and an ace ended the match.
Halle Neumann led the Beacons with nine kills and three digs, Salness had eight kills and nine digs, with Payton Jones recording six blocks. Setter Makenna Northern had 28 assists, libero Kayla Olson finished with 14 digs and two aces and Lingenfelder had five digs and three aces.
Both Pagan and
Jade Warren had six kills in the loss for C of I, with
Drew Dobney leading all players with 17 digs.
C of I returns to the court tomorrow at 5 p.m. for a match-up with No. 7-ranked Corban. All fans wearing purple will be admitted for $2.00, while all youth volleyball players will be admitted for free.
