ISU Volleyball Heads to Wyoming Invite for Final Nonconference Slate

Game Notes | Live Stats vs. Wyoming | Live Stats vs. Pepperdine | Live Stats vs. McNeese State

POCATELLO, Idaho – The Idaho State volleyball team is on the road for its final nonconference slate of the season as it faces Wyoming, Pepperdine and McNeese State Sept. 17-18 at the Wyoming Invite in Laramie, Wyo. ISU will play Wyoming Thursday, Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m. followed by Pepperdine Friday morning at 10 a.m. and McNeese State Friday evening at 5 p.m.

ABOUT WYOMING
This will be the 18th meeting between ISU and Wyoming. Wyoming leads the series 14-3 and won the last meeting 3-1 on Sept. 10, 2011 in Laramie, Wyoming.

The Cowgirls return nine letter winners and five starters plus a libero from last year's squad that finished with a 23-8 overall record with a 12-6 mark in the Mountain West, good for third place. Notable returners for the Cowgirls include senior outside hitter Bridget Shanahan and junior middle blocker Laura Beach who each received Mountain West all-conference honors in 2014. Beach currently leads the Cowgirls with 86 total kills for a 2.53 kills per set average.

This season, Wyoming sits at 7-2 including a 5-1 mark at home. The Cowgirls average 12.0 kills per set with a .185 hitting percentage and 11.0 assists per set. UW averages 14.1 digs per set and have 103.0 total blocks on the season for a 3.0 blocks per set average.

Head Coach Chad Callihan enters his third year with Wyoming and carreis a 51-23 overall recorrd with the Cowgirls.

ABOUT PEPPERDINE
This will be the sixth meeting between Idaho and Pepperdine. The Waves won the last meeting 3-0 on Sept. 6, 1997 in the Nike Oregon Classic. Pepperdine was also at the USC Classic Sept. 10-12, but ISU did not play Pepperdine during the classic.

The Waves return seven letter winners, including three starters plus a libero from last year's squad that finished with a 12-18 overall record and 7-11 in the West Coast Conference for a seventh-place finish. Senior setter Becca Strehlow is the only returner to have earned all-conference honors, earning her second-career honorable mention nod in 2014.

Currently, Pepperdine is 8-2 on the season is averaging 13.8 kills per set with a .257 hitting percentage in addition to 12.9 assists per set. The Waves average 17.2 digs per set and have 77.5 total blocks on the season for a 2.2 blocks per set average.

Head Coach Scott Wong is in his first year as head coach for the Waves.

ABOUT McNEESE STATE
This will be the second meeting between the Bengals and the Cowgirls. Idaho state won the last meeting 3-0 on Sept. 13, 1991.

McNeese State return nine letter winners and three starters plus a libero from last year's team that finished with a 15-17 overall record and a 5-11 mark in the Southland Conference. \
The Cowgirls are 1-7 overall this season. McNeese State is averaging 10.7 kills per set with a .137 hitting percentage in addition to 9.6 assists per set. The Lobos average 13.5 digs per set and have recorded 45.0 total blocks for a 1.5 blocks per set average.

The Cowgirls are coached by Head Coach Ashleigh Fitzgerald who enters her second season with McNeese State. The Cowgirls are 16-24 since Fitzgerald's arrival.

LAST MATCH: ISU FALLS TO NEW MEXICO IN FIVE SETS
The Idaho State volleyball team fell to New Mexico 3-2 in its final match of the USC Classic at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, Calif. The Bengals cruised to a 2-0 lead after winning sets one and two 25-16 and 25-18 respectively, but the Lobos overcame the deficit and won the last three sets, 25-18, 25-18 and 17-15.held on to win the third set, 25-21.

In the first set, ISU started strong, matching UNM point-for-point. The Bengals were able to create some separation, 12-8, following two ISU kills and an ace in addition to an attacking error from the Lobos. ISU never relinquished their first set lead and cruised to a 25-16 win.

The second set was similar to the first, as ISU recorded the first point off a kill from junior outside hitter Bailey Bars. Neither team was able to pull away until a 6-0 Bengal run, sparked by two kills from sophomore outside hitter Chloe Hirst, put ISU ahead 10-16. UNM cut the lead to three, 18-15 but was unable to close the gap. Idaho State finished on a 7-3 run to win the second set 25-18.

After the break, New Mexico bested the Bengals, sending the match to five sets. In the third set, ISU started with a 0-2 lead following a kill from Hirst and an ace from Bars. UNM capitalized on a few ISU errors and recorded multiple kills to pull away from a 4-4 tie, and the Lobos never trailed the rest of the set. ISU struggled to connect for kills, recording a .088 hitting percentage and 10 hitting errors in the third set. New Mexico capitalized for the 25-18 third set victory.

UNM rode its third-set momentum to a fourth set win, 25-18. Despite ISU's improved hitting with a .273 hitting percentage and only four attacking errors, the Bengals were unable to overcome a late 10-point deficit to the Lobos, forcing a fifth set.

The fifth set was close throughout, with five lead changes and 11 ties, neither team led by more than two points. ISU tied up the set 15-all following a kill from sophomore outside hitter Marissa Todd, but the Bengals finished the match with two consecutive errors to give the set and match win to New Mexico.