Game Notes: Uni Wyo Classic
BENGAL OVERVIEW
Idaho State (2-5) competes in its final pre-season tournament, the UniWyo Cowgirl Classic at Wyoming on Friday Sept. 9 and Saturday Sept. 10 in the UniWyo Sports Complex. The Bengals play two matches on the first day of competition on Sept. 9, playing Georgia State at 10 a.m. and Illinois State at 5:30 p.m. The Bengals finish the tournament against Wyoming on Sept. 10 at 1 p.m.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Bengal fans can follow the action of the UniWyo Classic through live statistics via game tracker and live video web streaming at a cost; all available at www.isubengals.com.
LAST WEEK IN BENGAL VOLLEYBALL...
Idaho State finished fourth in the Utah State Invitational with a 1-2 record having defeated tournament champion Utah State in five sets. The Bengals opened the tournament with a 3-2 victory over the Aggies, rallying back from being down two sets, then fell 3-0 to Texas State and 3-1 to Syracuse.
VAN EVERY EARNS FIRST ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM HONORS
Breanne Van Every earned her first all-tournament team honors at the Utah State Invitational. Van Every recorded her first career double-double with a game-high 17 kills and 10 digs against Utah State in Idaho State's five set victory. The Bengals trailed by two sets before rallying back for the win. Van Every led the Bengals to the five set victory when she hit 13 of her 17 kills in the last three sets. She also had two assists, a service ace and a block assist. Against Texas State Van Every notched eight kills, five digs and a block assist. To end the tournament Van Every had a career-high 17 digs against Syracuse, six kills, two assists and one block assist. Over the tournament she averaged 2.58 kills per set for a total of 31, the second most for ISU. She also recorded the second post digs for the Bengals over the tournament with 32 and notched three block assists and four assists.
BENGALS CAPTURED UNIWYO TOURNAMENT TITLE IN 2009
Idaho State overcame South Dakota State, Rutgers and Wyoming in 2009 to capture the UniWyo Cowgirl Classic title. Three Bengals were selected to the all-tournament team:
Jaclyn Hone-Hawkins,
Karissa Legaux and Emily Waldron who was also named MVP. Waldron and Hone-Hawkins each posted a double-double against Wyoming. Waldron recorded her second double-double of the tournament with her 13 kills and 12 digs against the Cowgirls, while Hone led the Bengals with 15 kills and 15 digs against Wyoming. Waldron had double-figures in digs in every match in the tournament. She went on to post 33 kills and 37 digs over three matches. Hone posted 39 kills over the tournament and 26 digs. ISU's setter Legaux posted 43 assists for the Bengals against Wyoming and 126 over the tournament. Her tournament-high was 48 assists against South Dakota State.
DOUBLING DOWN
Redshirt freshman
Danielle Downs recorded her first two career double-doubles at the Utah State Invitational. Her first career double-double was against Utah State in ISU's five set victory over tournament champion Utah State with a career-high 16 kills and 10 digs. Downs notched her second double-double with 13 kills and a career-high 13 digs.
Breanne Van Every recorded her first career double-double with a game-high 17 kills and 10 digs against Utah State in Idaho State's five set victory.
MENDENHALL EMERGES AS TOP SETTER FOR BENGALS
Sophomore Lori Mendenhall has emerged as the top setter for the Bengals competing in eight sets at the Utah State Invitational while senior
Karissa Legaux played in four. Mendenhall had 71 assists averaging 8.88 per set and recorded 10 kills as well as a solo block. Over the first two tournaments, Mendenhall has recorded 139 assists averaging 8.69 per set while Legaux has recorded 64 assists averaging 8.0 per set.
TOP OUTSIDE HITTERS HAVE EACH EARNED ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM HONORS
Redshirt freshman
Danielle Downs captured the first all-tournament team honors of the season at the Tiger Invitational knocking down 35 kills averaging 2.92 kills per set. Junior
Breanne Van Every followed with her own all-tournament team honors at the Utah State Invitational putting down 31 kills, averaging 2.58 per set. Both were first all-tournament team honors for the outside hitters.
DOWNS AND SEARLE LEAD FRESHMAN CLASS
Danielle Downs, a redshirt freshman has already emerged as ISU's top outside hitter, battling closely with junior
Breanne Van Every who plays her first season in the front row consistently. Downs not only leads the Bengals averaging 3.17 kills per set but the entire freshman class in the Big Sky Conference. Another of ISU's redshirt freshman to lead the way in the Big Sky is Kylee Searle in digs with 3.79 per set to lead the freshman class.
BENGALS IN THE TOP-TEN FOR BIG SKY ACTION
• Senior middle blocker
Vanessa Muir holds a .239 attack percentage, 10th best in the Big Sky. She also holds the 9th best service aces per set with 0.25.
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Danielle Downs' 3.17 kills per set is the sixth best mark in conference. She also averages 3.58 points per set for the sixth best mark in the Big Sky.
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Breanne Van Every's 2.96 kills per set is the 9th best in league action.
• Kylee Searle's 3.79 digs per set is the seventh best in the league.
ABOUT GEORGIA STATE
It is the first meeting between the Georgia State Panthers and the Idaho State Bengals. Georgia State holds a 4-3 record and is on a two-match losing streak having fallen in five sets to Harvard and four sets to the College of Charleston. GSU is coming off a 1-2 showing at the Georgia State Invitational. Muki Kangwa leads the Panthers in kills with 4.74 per set.
ABOUT ILLINOIS STATE AND SERIES INFO
It has been 30 years since Idaho State played Illinois State. The redbirds leads the series 1-0 defeating the Bengals 2-0 at BYU. This season, Illinois State is on a five-match win streak having defeated CSU Bakersfield, SIUE, Stephen F. Austin, UAB and UT Martin. The Redbirds are led in kills per set by Shannon McGlaughlin with 4.0. Illinois State has out-blocked its opponents 79.5-to-52, led by Emily Schneider with 1.30 blocks per set.
ABOUT WYOMING AND SERIES INFO
The Cowgirls leads the series 14-2 with Idaho State capturing the last meeting 3-1 in 2009 to win the UniWyo Cowgirl Classic. ISU's only other victory against Wyoming was a 3-1 decision in 1989. ISU is 2-4 in four set matches against the Cowgirls. Wyoming holds a 4-3 record fro the season and are 4-1 in three set matches. The Cowgirls average a .248 attack percentage and are led by Jodi Purdy who averages 2.88 kills per set. Wyoming comes off its first three set loss to IPFW.
