Nov. 8, 2003
OGDEN, UT -- Big Sky Conference kills leader Ali Gorny added a match high 22 kills as the Idaho State University Bengals defeated the Weber State University Wildcats, 30-23, 23-30, 32-30, 30-24, in a Big Sky Conference match Saturday night at the Dee Events Center.
Gorny, a junior from Littlerock, CA, added 18 digs to post her 15th double-double of the season. The 22 kills gave her 10 matches this season with 20 or more kills. Felice Yocopis had 15 kills and 13 digs to post her fourth double-double of the season. Martha Brinton had 54 assists and 11 digs for her 10th double-double of the season.
In game one Gorny had six kills, while Yocopis added five as ISU ran out to a big lead and held on for a 30-23 win. Thanks to some solid hitting by Lindsay Harris and Kris Hollingsworth, each of which had four kills, Weber State rallied and won game two, 30-23. Game three saw the Bengals fall behind early, but take a late lead at 29-28. Weber held off that game point, and one more, before an Gorny kill finally gave the Bengals the game at 32-30.
In game four the two teams traded points until the Bengals put together 11 of 13 to turn an 18-17 deficit into a 28-21 lead. The Wildcats rallied to win three in a row, cutting the ISU lead to just four at 28-24. But a Heather Gilmore kill, combined with an attack error on match point, gave ISU the win, it's first win in Ogden since 1997.
Also having solid matches for the Bengals were Kamie Olsen, who had eight blocks and eight kills, Jennie James, who had 10 kills and a .391 attack percentage and Ashley VanderBloomen, who had a match-high 19 digs.
Hollingsworth led the way for WSU with 14 kills and 12 digs. Harris and Stephanie Birch added 13 kills apiece.
"I think we came out so strong in game one and set a precident for the match," "Game three was a tough battle all the way through and the team came through in the clutch. Our team did a really nice job of blocking. Our blocking continues to show great improvement throughout the season. Bottom line is that we were gritty when it counted."
With the win the Bengals improved to 18-7 overall and 8-4 in Big Sky play. Weber State fell to 7-17, 3-9. ISU will return home for its final two regular season matches, on Friday against Northern Arizona at 7:00 p.m. in Reed Gymnasium, and on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. against Sacramento State, also at 7:00 p.m.
