2021 Volleyball Notebook (Week 11)

COMING UP: vs. Oregon Tech, Friday, 7 p.m.; vs. Southern Oregon, Saturday, 5 p.m.

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTES
 
LIVE VIDEO / LIVE STATS: All C of I home volleyball matches will be carried live on the Yotes Digital Network (PPV - $9.00 per game, $45.00 for a season pass) with Mike Safford and Sven Alskog calling the action, while Live Stats will be available through the C of I SIDEARM Stats Portal.
 
TICKETS / FAN PROTOCOLS: Tickets to both matches can be purchased ahead of time through the C of I Ticket Portal, with tickets at the gate available for $6.00. All spectators will be required to wear masks (covering their mouth and nose) at all times inside the Activities Center, per the Cascade Conference Return to Play protocol.
 
A MARK OF CONSISTENCY: The Yotes have been one of the premier volleyball programs in the Northwest, recording 20 or more victories 19 times, including 12 of the past 15 seasons. C of I has won 25 or more matches 12 different times, with the 2006 team setting the school record with 35 victories.
 
ON A ROLL: C of I swept weekend matches against Multnomah and Warner Pacific and have now won four of their last five matches – getting back to the .500 mark in Cascade Conference play. It is the second time this season that the Yotes have won 4-of-5 matches and have moved into a tie for sixth in the current CCC standings.
 
PLAYOFF PICTURE: Five teams are currently battling for the final two playoff spots in the 6-team CCC Championships with just two weeks away. Northwest sits at 10-8 and has a game lead on three teams – C of I, LC State and Evergreen – while Southern Oregon is at 7-11. Northwest and Evergreen have a tough final stretch, traveling to Corban and Bushnell, before hosting C of I and Eastern Oregon; C of I hosts Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon before showdowns with NU and TESC; LC travels to Multnomah and Warner Pacific before hosting Corban and Bushnell; while SOU travels to C of I and EOU before hosting WPU and MU to end the season.
 
BIG NUMBERS: The Coyote offense had their best weekend of the season, hitting at a combined .298 percentage – averaging over 14 kills per set. C of I also posted a combined 21 aces in the two matches, recording back-to-back matches with double-digit aces for the first time since 2017. The defense was just as stingy, holding the opponents to a combined .053 hitting percentage.
 
FRITH HONORED BY CCC: Leading the way for the Coyotes was Sidney Frith, who earlier this week was honored as WVT Laboratory Cascade Conference Setter of the Week. The freshman averaged 11.5 assists per set – recording a season-high 44 assists in Friday's win over Multnomah and following it up with 41 more assists vs. Warner Pacific. She added seven total kills in the two matches and 13 digs. For the season, Frith has averaged 6.58 assists and 1.78 digs per set.
 
STEEL POSTS BIG WEEKEND: Playing her second full weekend as a libero, Sydnee Steel was instrumental in the two C of I wins – leading the Coyote defensive specialists. The freshman had a huge night against Multnomah, recording career-highs with 18 digs and 6 aces – the 6 aces a season high for the Yotes. She followed it up Saturday with 19 digs in the 3-set sweep of Warner Pacific. Steel is improved her digs per set average to 2.02, while leading the team with 34 aces.
 
NEUMAN CONTINUES OUTSTANDING YEAR: It was another quality weekend for opposite hitter Danielle Neuman, who led the Yotes with 19 total kills in the two victories. The senior posted seventh match with 10-or-more kills vs. Warner Pacific, leading the squad with 11 kills. Neuman has recorded at least one kill, one dig and one block in 16-straight matches and currently averages 2.26 kills and 0.75 blocks per set.
 
VANDENBERG EFFICIENT: With the Yotes resting their starters for extended periods last weekend, 6-rotation hitter Emily Vandenberg played just four total sets in the victories. While on the court, she put up quality numbers, recording a combined 16 kills on 32 swings – logging just two attack errors – hitting at a .438 percentage. The second-year Coyote leads the team with 211 kills and is second on the squad with 200 digs.
 
SLAVIN SEES INCREASED ROLE: Middle blocker Chayla Slavin saw extended court time in the wins over Multnomah and Warner Pacific – recording a career-best six kills in Saturday's victory. In three sets played, the freshman had a combined eight kills on 13 swings with just one attack error, improving her hitting percentage on the season to .349.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – OREGON TECH: The final home weekend starts against an Oregon Tech team gunning for their first-ever NAIA Tournament appearance. The Owls (18-5, 14-4 CCC) have been outstanding this season, ranking second in the circuit in both hitting percentage (.232) and aces per set (2.1) and head to Caldwell winners of nine of their last 10 matches. Three returners lead the attack – Nicole Reyes (2.95 k/s, 2.29 d/s), Kaylin Talonen (2.65 k/s) and Faith Houck-Wylie (2.41 k/s, 0.59 b/s) – with setter Courtney Isom (6.23 a/s, 1.73 d/s) and libero Aubrey Kievit (4.08 d/s, 25 aces) both having great years. OIT defeated the Yotes in 4-sets earlier this year in Klamath Falls.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – SOUTHERN OREGON: Saturday's match-up vs. Southern Oregon is the start of three straight games with immense playoff implications, as the Raiders (12-11, 7-11) need a win to keep their postseason hopes alive. SOU has been the true Jekyll & Hyde team in 2021 – posting a win over Bushnell and two wins over LC-State, but also at one point lost 7-straight conference games. Offense is the key to Southern's success – as the trio of Hailey Van Well (3.64 k/s), Simone Gordon (2.56 k/s) and Shelby Young (2.25 k/s) lead an attack that hits at a .218 clip and is averaging 2.08 blocks per set. Three setters rotate in a 6-2 offense, with Taylor Russell (5.41 a/s) leading the squad in assists, while Kadyn Jones (4.10 d/s, 24 aces) is the libero. C of I topped SOU in 5-sets earlier in the year in Ashland.
 
AROUND THE CCC: Along with SOU and OIT traveling to C of I and Eastern Oregon, key match-ups are set for the Willamette Valley, as Northwest and Evergreen will square off against Corban and Bushnell, while LC State and Walla Walla will be in Portland vs. Multnomah and Warner Pacific.
 
SENIOR NIGHT: Saturday marks the final home match for four senior student-athletes on the 2021 roster – Austyn Mauzy, Danielle Neuman, Cameron Wallace and Masie Hancock. The quartet will be honored in a pre-match ceremony.
 
ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM PICKS: Eleven current C of I volleyball players were honored as members of the Cascade Conference All-Academic Team – the highest number of Yotes on the team in program history. Ali Carpenter, Kylie Crossland, Payton Elledge, Alyssa Espley, Masie Hancock, Austyn Mauzy, Danielle Neuman, Chevelle Shepherd, Emily Vandenberg, Cameron Wallace and Jade Warren were honored for being at least a sophomore in academic standing and maintaining a 3.20 or better cumulative grade point average at the College.
 
RECORD BOOK: Three Coyotes rank among the Top-25 in the C of I career record book – as Sidney Frith at No. 14 (599) and Sydnee Steel at No. 19 (325) in assists, while Jade Warren ranks No. 17 in total blocks (219).
 
LOOKING AHEAD: C of I closes out the regular-season next weekend with road matches at Evergreen and Northwest.