ISU Volleyball Rebounds in Second Match of USC Classic; Sweeps Utah State

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POCATELLO, Idaho – The Bengals finished their first day at the USC Classic in Los Angeles, Calif. on a high note as they swept Utah State in three sets, 25-13, 26-24 and 25-23. ISU improves to 6-4 on the season with the win.
 
The Bengals were led by senior outside hitter Tressa Lyman who recorded match highs in kills with 18 and in digs with 13 for her fifth double-double of the season. Senior middle blocker Makenzie Filer also came up big for ISU with 11 kills, one block solo and a match-high five block assists.
 
Idaho State cruised to a first set victory behind relentless kills from sophomore outside hitter Chloe Hirst and Lyman who recorded six and five kills respectively. Utah State struggled to hit past ISU blocks, as the Bengals recorded seven total blocks and influenced the Aggies' hitting, forcing a negative .061 hitting percentage. ISU steadily pulled away and won the set 25-13.
 
In the second set, the Aggies challenged ISU and led by as many as five points on three separate occasions. A kill by Filer started a 4-1 Bengal run to bring cut Utah State's lead to one, 14-13. ISU was finally able to gain their first lead of the set, 19-18, off a kill from Lyman. The two squads traded points and neither led by more than two points to close out the set. ISU's finished on a 3-0 run to win the set, 26-24.
 
The third set was close throughout with neither team leading by more than two points until ISU put together a 4-0 run midway through to lead 20-16. The Aggies responded with a kill and two service aces to cut the lead to one, 20-19. Utah State put together two kills and capitalized on two ISU attacking error to regain the lead 23-22. But a strong 3-0 run from the Bengals resulted in the 25-23 set win and 3-0 sweep of the Aggies.

"I thought the team played really well," Head Coach Rick Reynolds said. "We came out and executed early. We served tough, played great defense and I thought we transitioned really well. We hit at a really efficient level. In the second set, Utah State made some adjustments and started blocking a little bit better. We didn't come out with as much of an attack mentality in the second set and I thought it hurt us. In the third set, I thought we responded really well. Utah State just rode some of the momentum they had from the second set and it turned into a great match. Utah State is a well-coached team. [Head Coach] Grayson [DuBose] has been doing a great job for a long time."
 
LAST MATCH: ISU SWEPT BY NO. 6 USC IN FIRST MATCH OF USC CLASSIC
The Idaho State volleyball team dropped its opening match of the USC Classic Friday morning against No. 6 USC at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, Calif. The Trojans swept the Bengals in three sets, 25-20, 25-22 and 25-18.

Lyman and Filer each led ISU with 10 kills apiece; Hirst recorded eight kills and a team-high 11 digs.
 
In the first set, the Bengals played the Trojans evenly, tying the score four times but never leading. Idaho State tied the match up 7-7 off of a kill from junior outside hitter Bailey Bars, but USC started an 8-3 run off a kill from Elise Ruddins that the Bengals could not recover from. USC went on to claim the first set, 25-20.
 
The second set, which featured eight tied scores and two lead changes, was a battle at the net. ISU's sophomore outside hitter Chloe Hirst and senior middle blocker Makenzie Filer each tied for set-high kills with USC Samantha Bricio with five. However, the Trojans gained the advantage with blocking, recording five blocks in the second set alone. USC's blocking in addition to its USC's .378 hitting enabled the Trojans to outlast ISU 25-22 for the second set win.
 
In the third and final set, the Bengals led 4-2 to start, but two USC kills and two consecutive attacking errors by ISU put the Trojans in front 6-4. The Bengals fought to recover and traded points with USC until the Trojans broke free off a kill from Brittany Abercrombie to break a 14-all tie. USC finished the set on an 11-4 run to win the set, 25-18 and claim the match win.

"USC is going to be a team that is in the national tournament," Reynolds said. "I felt like we came out and executed our game plan and did it really well overall through the whole match. We had a little letup at the end of the third set, but I think the girls recognize that they played a great match overall and we put in a lot of effort. USC is just a really good team."
 
Idaho State plays its third and final match of the USC Classic against New Mexico, Saturday, Sept. 12 at 11 a.m. at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, Calif.