Snohomish, Wash. – The College of Idaho beach volleyball team split a pair of matches with a 3-2 win over Bushnell and a 5-0 loss to Southern Oregon at the at the NU Beach Volleyball Complex on Saturday.
With the split, College of Idaho is now 2-2 in its inaugural season on the sand.
Yotes head coach Madison Machurek reviews the weekend. "This was a big weekend for us. We have been patiently waiting for the opportunity to boost our confidence. We know we have the work ethic. We know we have the drive. It's the opportunity to win that was needed to level up. Beating Northwest and Bushnell proved we can hang and make a mark in our conference. This weekend has strengthened our bond beyond what I imagined. I am happy for the girls and really enjoy seeing them love the sport and the environment they're building for our program. Obviously, we'd preferred to have finish 3-0 this weekend. But SOU is a tough team. They are going to be a challenge for any team in the conference. We will be ready to give them a go on March 29."
The day started with an exciting victory over the Beacons. Bushnell won the No. 3 and No. 2 flight for a 2-0 lead and just a win away from taking the match.
Not to be denied, the Yotes got its first win in the matchup when the No. 4 team of
Clair Hodge and
Greta Valaika won in three, 21-14, 20-22, 15-12. College of Idaho tied the match at two when the No. 5 team of
Keylee Wilson and
Ellie Baker were winners by a 21-16, 21-5 margin.
The match was decided by the No. 1 matchup of
Sydney Dews and
Haley McUne for College of Idaho and Kate Palelek of Hallie Neumann of Bushnell. Palelek and Neumann took the first set by a narrow margin by a 21-19 margin.
Then, Dews and McUne came back to even the match at a set apiece with a 21-12 win in the second set. The back and forth contest was decided in the third set as Dews and McUne pulled off the 15-12 win to secure the second win on the season for the Yotes.
The second match of the day saw Southern Oregon defeat College of Idaho for the second time in the young season. The Raiders won the match by a 5-0 margin with all five matchups decided in straight sets.
