CALDWELL, Idaho – In front of a sea of pink at the JAAC, the College of Idaho volleyball team delivered a dramatic five-set victory over Southern Oregon on Friday night, earning redemption and evening the season series with the Raiders. The Yotes won 23-25, 25-16, 25-21, 20-25, 15-10 in a match filled with emotion, grit, and purpose as part of the program's annual Dig Pink Night.
Senior Mia Hutchinson put together the most impressive performance of the night, tallying 22 kills, 11 digs and a .583 hitting percentage, notching a double-double to lead the Yotes' offensive surge. Cierra Bohrn nearly matched her teammate with 21 kills (a career high) and eight blocks, earning a staggering 23.5 points in one of her most dominant nights of the season. The two outside hitters combined for 43 of the team's 73 kills, setting the tone from the opening serve to the final block.
Middle blocker Abigail Flerchinger added 15 kills on an efficient .423 clip and threw up eight block assists, while Alexa Wheeler was a force at the net with seven blocks of her own. Freshman setter Shaynee McWilliams orchestrated the offense with 30 assists, five digs and two aces, while Madeline Lee dished out 34 assists and four digs, giving the Yotes a rare dual-setter system that kept the Raiders guessing all night.
After the Yotes took a 2-1 match lead, Southern Oregon refused to go quietly, hitting an incredible .500 in the fourth set to claw back and force a decisive fifth. But in the end, the momentum returned to the home side, with Bohrn and Flerchinger teaming up for back-to-back blocks to seal the 15-10 win.
Southern Oregon (10-12, 7-8 CCC) was led by Maya Watters, who posted a double-double of her own with 14 kills and 14 digs, and Friley Curtiss, who tallied 13 kills on a .391 hitting percentage. Andressa Ribeiro Soa chipped in 10 kills and 14 digs, while setter Mia Jaeger recorded 27 assists in the effort.
The victory lifts the Yotes to 14-8 overall and 8-7 in Cascade Conference play, pushing them into the top half of the standings heading into the final stretch.
As the final point dropped and the crowd roared, the emotion inside the JAAC was palpable. A celebration not only of a hard-fought win, but also of the loved ones, families, and teammates who continue to fight against breast cancer. On a night when pink outshined purple, the Yotes' fight and heart matched the cause they played for.
