CALDWELL, Idaho – No. 8 The College of Idaho continued its strong run through Cascade Conference play Friday night, sweeping Bushnell University 25-16, 25-23, 25-19 at Elgin Baylor Arena to improve to 19-1 overall and 12-1 in CCC action.
The Yotes used a balanced offensive attack and dominant work at the net, recording a .243 hitting percentage while piling up 14 team blocks in the straight-set victory over the Beacons (13-7, 8-5).
Leading the way for The College of Idaho was
Abigail Flerchinger, who posted a team-high nine kills on a blistering .412 hitting percentage while adding four total blocks.
Jessica Stires added eight kills and two blocks, while
Alexa Wheeler finished with seven kills and a match-high four block assists.
Cierra Bohrn contributed six kills, and
Cora Young chipped in five kills and four block assists as the Yotes' front row consistently frustrated the Bushnell attack.
The College of Idaho's offense was directed by setters
Shaynee McWilliams and
Whitney Pierzga, who combined for 34 assists. McWilliams also sparked the Yotes from the service line with three aces.
Defensively, libero
Avery Lewis anchored the back row with a match-high 19 digs, while
Kadence Boyd added nine digs and two service aces.
Bushnell was paced by Soleil Sands, who delivered a match-high nine kills while hitting an impressive .727. Teagan Dixon added seven kills on a .538 attack percentage, and Amyah Semau registered six kills, five digs and a service ace. Setter Avery McCallister handed out 15 assists, while Chloe Farr led the Beacons with 12 digs.
The Yotes controlled much of the opening set, hitting .367 and pulling away with a 15-6 run to secure a 25-16 win. Bushnell pushed The College of Idaho in the second frame, building a 12-5 advantage before the Yotes rallied behind key kills from Flerchinger, Wheeler and Stires. The hosts erased the deficit and closed the set on a 13-5 run to take a commanding two-set lead.
In the third set, Bushnell held an early 3-1 edge, but The College of Idaho steadily seized control behind its defense and blocking, eventually turning a 13-10 lead into a comfortable six-point margin before closing out the sweep.
The Yotes finished with advantages in kills (39-34), service aces (9-4) and blocks (14-7), limiting Bushnell to a .143 hitting percentage for the match.
The College of Idaho returns to action Saturday when it hosts No. 5 Corban University in a pivotal top-10 matchup at 4 p.m. MT inside Elgin Baylor Arena.
