2020-21 Volleyball Notebook (Week 2)

COMING UP: vs. No. 8 Eastern Oregon, Friday, 7 p.m.

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTES
 
SPECTATOR POLICY: Per the Cascade Conference Return to Play Protocol, spectators are currently not allowed to attend volleyball matches inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
 
BROADCAST INFORMATION: All C of I home matches, will be broadcast live (pay-per-view, $8.99 per game, $24.99 for season pass for all home matches) on the Yotes Digital Network with Mike Safford and Sven Alskog providing commentary.
 
COYOTES SPLIT OPENING WEEKEND: After a 465-day layoff between matches, the Coyotes finally were able to start their 2020 season (albeit in February of 2021) with four home matches as part of the C of I CCC Pod. The Yotes opened the weekend with a pair of 3-set losses to a much-improved Oregon Tech team, before rebounding on Saturday to post two 3-set wins over Multnomah. It was the start of a shortened 14-game Cascade Conference schedule, culminating with a 4-team CCC Championship event in April.
 
A TALE OF TWO DAYS: The Yotes looked like a completely different team on Saturday than they did on Friday – and the statistical numbers definitely prove it. Against OIT, C of I combined for 68 kills and 47 attack errors in the two matches, posting just four total aces, while the Owls hit at a .274 clip. Fast-forward 24 hours and the Coyotes were extremely efficient – combining for 85 kills and just 16 errors, hitting at a stellar .343 percent, with a combined 12 aces, forcing 43 hitting errors by Multnomah and a .070 attack percentage. One thing that was solid throughout the weekend was the Yotes success at the net, averaging 2.33 blocks per set – logging at least six total blocks in each of the four matches.
 
WARREN LEADS THE CHARGE AT THE NET: The lone returning starter on the front row made the biggest impact on the weekend, as Jade Warren put together an impressive 4-game stretch. The sophomore recorded her fourth career match with 10-or-more kills in the afternoon tilt vs. Oregon Tech, while combining for 14 kills on 24 swings, with just one error in just four total sets against Multnomah. Warren led the team with a 3.10 kills per set average and a .344 hitting percentage, while posting at least two total blocks in each match – including four blocks in both of the matches against OIT.
 
NEUMAN HAS BIG SATURDAY: Junior Danielle Neuman made her season debut on Saturday and it was worth the wait, as the converted opposite hitter combined for 13 kills on 30 swings in the two wins. After recording four kills and three blocks in the morning match vs. Multnomah, Neuman broke out with a career-high nine kills in the afternoon affair – hitting at a .471 percentage, while adding three blocks.
 
BLOCKING PRESENCE: After missing last season due to injury, middle blocker Cameron Wallace was outstanding in her Coyote debut, ranking third on the team with 20 kills in pod play and adding 10 blocks. She was complemented by true freshman Sarah Gold, who made her collegiate debut Saturday, posting six blocks in the Match 1 win over Multnomah and finished the weekend averaging 1.33 blocks per set.
 
OUTSIDES STEP UP: A trio of newcomers rotated through the outside hitter position during the opening weekend, each providing a spark for the C of I attack. Sophomore Kylie Crossland was the key in both morning matches – posting eight kills vs. Oregon Tech and adding a career-best nine kills vs. Multnomah and finished the weekend averaging 2.56 kills per set. Freshman Emily Vandenberg made her debut, leading the way in the afternoon frays, posting six kills vs. OIT and eight kills vs. MU, averaging 1.82 kills and 1.91 digs per set. Transfer Chloe Knudson shook off a tough opener vs. OIT to post solid numbers the rest of the weekend, posing a combined 17 kills on 44 swings, adding five aces and 20 digs.
 
WITH THE SET: The Yotes primarily ran a two-setter attack, with Abigail Guinn and Margie Beeler sharing duties. Guinn averaged 6.50 assists per set and logged 12 kills on 20 attacks without an error, while averaging 3.00 digs per set and posting one ace in all four matches. Beeler added 4.30 assists per set, reaching double-digit assists in both matches vs. Multnomah, while combining for 15 digs.
 
CARPENTER HAS RECORD MATCH: C of I turned to a true freshman in their libero role, and Ali Carpenter did not disappoint. The first-year player averaged 4.92 digs per set, adding 14 assists and two aces in the four matches – but recorded one of the biggest 3-set performances in program history in Saturday's morning event. Carpenter led all players with 28 digs – becoming just the tenth Coyote to record 28-or-more digs in a 3-set match and the first since Kilee Lopez had 33 digs in a 3-set win over Rocky Mountain at the 2015 NAIA Championships. The C of I record for 3-set digs is 35, set by Catherine Everist in 2007.
 
NON-CONFERENCE MATCH ADDED: With two weeks between pod play, the Yotes have added a non-conference match-up this Friday against longtime rival, Eastern Oregon and are in talks for a potential match the week following the second pod. It is the first time the Yotes have played a non-conference match in the middle of CCC play since a Tuesday trip to Lewis-Clark State in October of 2013. It marks the first match-up for the Coyotes against a CCC opponent in a non-conference, non-postseason match since 1997, when C of I hosted a preseason tournament featuring Cascade, Eastern Oregon and Northwest Nazarene.
 
ABOUT EASTERN OREGON: The Yotes and Mountaineers (4-0) will tangle on Friday night, less than a week removed from EOU dominating play in the opening pod. The Mounties averaged nearly 15 kills per set (14.79), hit at a .307 percentage and posted over two aces (2.09) and two blocks (2.57) per set. All-America setter Madison Pilon () leads the way, along with two-time CCC Libero of the Year Kiley McMurtrey (4.43 d/s) – but the balanced offense, paced by Cambree Scott (2.43 k/s, 1.71 b/s), Madison Morgan (2.55 k/s, 0.91 b/s), Breanna Shaffer (3.07 k/s, 0.86 b/s) and Sade Williams (3.23 k/s) is tough to stop.
 
THE OPENING WEEKEND OF POD PLAY: Two teams – the two squads ranked in the NAIA Top-25 – completed perfect weekends during the first pod competition, as Eastern Oregon and Corban each posted 4-0 marks. Four teams split their four matches – as Oregon Tech, C of I, Bushnell and Lewis-Clark State all went 2-2 – while Warner Pacific and Multnomah opened the new season at 0-4. Just one match on Friday (Bushnell vs. LC) went four sets, while on Saturday, both OIT vs. EOU matches lasted four sets, as did the first Corban vs. Bushnell encounter.
 
OPPONENTS SHIFT FOR NEXT WEEKEND: Next weekend, C of I and Eastern Oregon will remain in Caldwell and Corban and Lewis-Clark State will remain in Lewiston, but the four other teams will flip venues. Bushnell (formerly Northwest Christian) and Warner Pacific will make the drive to the Treasure Valley, while Multnomah and Oregon Tech will play in Lewiston. Tentatively, the schedule is expected to return to campus sites on March 19-20, with C of I traveling to Eastern Oregon.
 
PRESEASON POLLS: The Yotes were picked to finish third in the preseason CCC Coaches' Poll – trailing only Eastern Oregon and Corban. Bushnell, Lewis-Clark State and Oregon Tech round out the Top-5. In the first NAIA Coaches' Poll of 2021, EOU was ranked No. 8 and Corban No. 13, with C of I the second team listed in the receiving votes category – with the Coyotes ranked or receiving votes each of the last 16 seasons.
 
HOME COURT SUCCESS: Since October of 2005, C of I has posted a 171-21 record at home – including a 73-match Cascade Conference win streak – with the team 258-57 all-time in the arena. Head coach Liz Mendiola has recorded a home record of 206-31 in her 20 seasons as head coach
 
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 14 seasons – with the team recording 23-straight seasons with a .500 or better record. C of I has won 25 or more matches 12 different times, with the 2006 team setting the school record with 35 victories.