CALDWELL, Idaho - It took five sets in the first meeting, the College of Idaho volleyball team squashed the hopes of a tightly contested contest in the rematch with a 25-9, 26-24, 25-16 win over Northwest on Friday night. There were just four lead changes as College of Idaho nearly led for the entire match.
The Yotes (12-10, 10-4 CCC) managed to hit .269 – the fourth highest effort on the season - with 40 kills on 104 swings with
Haley McUne pacing the team with 10 kills.
To complement a potent hitting performance, College of Idaho frontline came away with 10 blocks.
Alexa Wheeler posted six blocks - three block solos and three block assists and
Shelbey Nichol added a block solo and three block assists.
Clair Hodge led C of I with 16 digs and McUne added 14 for her sixth double double of the season.
Northwest (13-6, 10-4 CCC) was paced by an eight-kill effort from Kaitlyn Mickle in the loss. Plus, setters Allie Flynn and Morgan Harter each had 10 assists. Kylie Lunday had five kills and three blocks in the defeat.
The two teams traded the first two points before College of Idaho pulled away with a 12-2 run on its way to the first set victory. McUne and fellow newcomer
Jerzie Pluid had three kills and the frontline registered six blocks on its way to a 25-9 win in the first set.
Alexa Wheeler had her hand on four blocks including three solos, plus McUne also had a pair of service aces in the set. The 25-9 margin was the largest since a 25-8 victory over Walla Walla on October 15, 2021.
The second set saw College of Idaho race out to an early 9-3 lead but the Eagles rallied to tie the set at 17 but four unanswered points put the home team back in front by a 21-17 margin. Northwest came back again to tie the set at 23 for the third tie in the match which prompted a timeout by the host Yotes. After the timeout, College of Idaho closed out the set with a 26-24 victory. In the set, the Yotes hit at a .286 clip with three kills each from Nichol, McUne and
Jade Warren.
The third set saw the Eagles take its first lead in the match on a pair of occasions, including at 8-7 but the advantage was short lived as host C of I answered. The Yotes went ahead by an 11-8 margin and for the remainder of the match on its way to a 25-16 win in the decisive third set. McUne registered four more kills to go along with five digs in the set.
Next, College of Idaho will host Evergreen on Saturday, October 14 at 7 pm. at the J.A. Albertson Activity Center.
