Box Score Box Score | Final Results
PORTLAND, Ore. - Both Lori Mendenhall and
Danielle Downs had double-doubles in Idaho State's 3-1 (19-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-22) victory over Portland State on the road to open Big Sky Conference play. It is the first road victory over the Vikings since 2003. The Bengals improve to 6-5 for the season and 1-0 in league action while Portland State falls to 4-9 in Big Sky play and 0-1 in conference.
"It's wonderful," said Head Coach
Chad Teichert of the Bengals opening Big Sky play with a win. "To win the first conference match on the road and against a good opponent is nice."
The Bengals have won their last three conference openers.
The Bengals dropped the first set 25-19 after posting an ISU match low .067 attack percentage. However, ISU rallied back in the second set recording an ISU match-high .357 attack percentage.
"They found a way to win. They lost game one but they bounced back. I can't stomach that and neither can they so I'm proud of the way they played to bounce back," said Teichert.
Mendenhall, a sophomore setter, captured her fourth straight double-double with a match-high 36 assists and 13 digs. It was the 10th double-double of her career. Redshirt freshman
Danielle Downs recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 10 kills and 10 digs.
Breanne Van Every, a junior outside hitter recorded a match-high 18 kills and was one dig shy of a double-double. Freshman outside hitter Alydia Fields chipped in 10 kills. Idaho State's redshirt freshman libero Kylee Searle tied the match-high 15 digs with Portland State's Nicole Bateham.
It was ISU's blocking effort that really stood out as the Bengals out-blocked Portland State 11-to-4, led by freshman middle blocker Whitney Bartschi with a match-high five blocks. Downs and senior middle blocker
Vanessa Muir both recorded four blocks on the night.
"We changed up the block when it took them awhile to get going but our middles did a number against Wyoming and they must have keyed in on the Wyoming match because they did well tonight after the first set," said Teichert.
Idaho State continues on the road playing Eastern Washington on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. MT on Reese Court in Cheney, Wash.
