ASHLAND, Ore. – The College of Idaho beach volleyball team put together a strong showing at the Southern Oregon Tournament, securing three dominant sweeps across two days of competition. The Yotes (5-2, 5-2 CCC) opened the event on Friday with back-to-back 5-0 victories over Northwest University and Simpson University before closing out the weekend with another sweep of Simpson. Their only setback came in a 4-1 loss to No. 7-ranked Southern Oregon on Saturday.
Day One: Yotes Roll with Two Sweeps
College of Idaho made a statement on Friday, not dropping a single match in their two contests.
Against Northwest, the Yotes displayed depth and consistency, with the duo of Ellie Baker and Liza Montalbo dominating in the No. 4 pairing with a 21-4, 21-6 win. Deshy Sandoval and Greta Valaika took care of business at No. 2 with a 21-12, 21-16 victory, while Lauren Gauna and Dariya Tlevlessova battled through a three-set thriller at No. 5 to secure the sweep (22-24, 21-18, 15-6).
Later in the day, the Yotes made quick work of Simpson, earning another 5-0 result. The No. 2 pairing of Sandoval and Valaika was again impressive, winning a tight first set before dominating the second (22-20, 21-9). Haley Hoopes and Sydney Dews controlled the No. 1 matchup with a 21-11, 21-15 victory, while the No. 5 duo of Gauna and Tlevlessova powered their way to a 21-12, 21-6 win.
Day Two: Yotes Split with No. 7 Southern Oregon and Simpson
Saturday presented a tougher challenge for the Yotes as they squared off against nationally ranked Southern Oregon. College of Idaho fought hard but fell 4-1, with the lone victory coming from the No. 4 pairing of Faith Faucher and Maya Blake, who continued their dominant weekend.
The Yotes quickly rebounded in their second match of the day, closing out the tournament with another 5-0 sweep of Simpson to cap off an impressive weekend.
Looking Ahead
With three sweeps and a strong performance against a top-10 team, College of Idaho continues to build momentum in CCC play. The Yotes will look to carry their success into next weekend as they return to action in pursuit of more conference victories.
