CALDWELL, Idaho – Despite a season-high 15 kills from
Austyn Mauzy, The College of Idaho could not overcome 14 Northwest University service aces, as the Eagles outlasted the Yotes 18-25, 25-13, 25-15, 21-25, 15-10 inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
The visiting Eagles (7-9, 5-5 CCC) ended a 3-match losing streak despite C of I holding a commanding 10-4 edge in total blocks.
The Coyotes (7-11, 4-6) broke a 20-20 tie in Set 4 with kills from Mauzy and
Danielle Neuman – as C of I scored five of the final six points of the set to force Set 5.
The teams traded side outs in the winner-take-all period, with a Neuman spike giving C of I an 8-7 lead. NU answered with 7-straight points – forcing four Yote hitting errors in the processes, to claim the match.
Big runs were the story in Set 1, as the Eagles built a 12-7 lead, only for Neuman and
Jade Warren each adding a kill and a block in a 6-point Coyote run. Tied at 17, Mauzy smashed a pair of kills in an 8-1 run to give the hosts the early lead.
NU used a tough service game to take Set 2 and Set 3 – as Savannah Hale logged 3-straight aces in an 8-2 run to break an early tie in Set 2 and Abi Broussard adding three more in an 8-0 run to end the set. Megan Horne followed in Set 3 with back-to-back aces in a 6-0 Eagles run to build a 9-4 lead – an edge the visitors would not surrender.
Emily Vandenberg posted her third-straight double-double for the Yotes with 11 kills and 10 digs, with both Neuman and Warren each posting 10 kills and five blocks.
Sidney Frith recorded a season-high 35 assists, with
Isabelle Combs leading all players with 25 digs.
Horne had 15 kills and 12 digs to lead NU, with Susana Bailey adding 13 kills. Broussard had 11 kills and four aces, with Anna Saelens leading the team with 46 assists and 10 digs.
C of I closes out Homecoming Weekend tomorrow night, hosting Evergreen at 7 p.m.
