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POCATELLO, Idaho – The Idaho State volleyball team upset league-leading Northern Arizona in thrilling fashion Saturday evening as the Bengals outlasted the Lumberjacks in five sets at Reed Gym. With scores of 17-25, 26-24, 11-25, 25-13 and 18-16, Idaho State defeated Northern Arizona for the first time since Nov. 21, 2014.
The Bengals were led by junior outside hitter
Marissa Todd and freshman middle blocker
Brooke Pehrson who each notched 17 kills on the night which shared match-high honors. Senior setter
Hayley Farrer continued to deliver consistent passes and finished with 45 assists on the night. Yet the difference-maker for the Bengals was their defense. ISU recorded 109 digs for its third triple-digit dig effort of the season. Five Bengals reached double-figure digs, led by freshman libero
Haylie Keck's 27.
"Our team came up big in big moments tonight," Head Coach
Rick Reynolds said. "At different times we had different kids step up and get the points we needed at crucial times. I'm proud of the team. What a job our defense did. I thought our digging really changed the tone of the game."
In the first set, Norther Arizona (21-6, 11-3 BSC) ran away with it as the Lumberjacks hit .389 connecting on 16 of 36 attempts with just two errors. Idaho State (15-12, 10-4 BSC) tied the score just once at 1-1 but kept the 'Jacks within striking distance, connecting on 13 of 39 attempts with six errors to hit .179. The Bengals cut NAU's lead to two, 11-13 midway through the set but would come no closer as the 'Jacks cruised to the 25-17 first set win.
In the second set, the momentum shifted in favor of the Bengals as Idaho State started the set on a 3-0 run and extended its lead to six, 11-5, behind six Bengal kills and a slew of NAU errors. ISU extended its lead to eight, 18-10 with the set win in sight, but NAU countered and outscored the Bengals 10-2 to tie the set at 20-all. The two squads traded kills and attacking errors and were in a gridlock at 24-all until Hirst and Todd both delivered kills to give ISU the 26-24 second set win.
Coming out of the break, the Bengals struggled to connect at the net as they finished with seven kills off 33 attempts with seven errors. NAU jumped out out the early 10-5 lead and never looked back hitting .296 for 10 kills on its way to a 25-11 third set win.
It was do or die for ISU in the fourth, and the Bengals responded with a vengeance. Todd kicked things off with a monster kill to give ISU the 1-0 lead, yet it was Northern Arizona that took the early 6-3 lead. The Bengals put together a 3-0 run with a kill from senior middle blocker
Taeja Davis coupled with two NAU attacking errors to tie the set 6-all, and then the Bengals took off. NAU suffered four errors while ISU terminated for three kills to take the 12-9 lead and force an NAU timeout.
Following the timeout, Idaho State extended its lead to four, 15-11 and then Pehrson stepped up to serve. Pehrson delivered two-straight aces to put the Bengals up by 17-11, and from then on the Bengals cruised. Northern Arizona never challenged ISU to close the set, and the Bengals won big, 25-13 to tie the set 2-2.
In the final set with the match on the line, Idaho State raced out to an 8-4 lead with four kills in combination with four Lumberjack attacking errors. Then NAU turned on the burners and rattled off six unanswered points to take the 10-8 lead. Two kills courtesy of Todd and Pehrson tied the set 10-10, and from then on it was a battled. Neither team led by more than a point, and there were six ties and three lead changes in the final plays of the match.
Northern Arizona had three opportunities for match point, but Idaho State continued to answer. With the set tied at 16-all, Pehrson delivered a lethal kill to give ISU a chance for match point. The Bengals delivered as senior outside hitter
Chloe Hirst connected on the assist from Keck to finish the set 18-16 and win the match 3-2.
"At the end of that match, it was big players making big plays in big moments," Reynolds said. "This game is emotional and it carriers a lot of weight emotionally. It's also a game of momentum. When you have a little bit of momentum, sometimes you get to run with it. We were able to run with it and so were they. Fortunately, that momentum in the fifth set went back and forth and we got it at the end."
Northern Arizona was led by senior setter Jensen Barton who finished with a triple double with 10 kills, 47 assists and 21 digs.
Idaho State finishes the regular season on the road as the Bengals travel to Sacramento State Nov. 10 and Portland State Nov. 12.
NOTES
- Haylie Keck's 27 digs gives her 511 season digs, one dig shy of tying the Idaho State single season digs record. Currently, former Bengal Kylee Sessions holds the record with 512 digs in a single season, a feat she accomplished during the 2012 season.
- Hayley Farrer's 45 assists gives her 3,665 career assists, good for fifth all-time. Her 14 digs on the evening gives her 1,187 career digs, 14 digs shy of eighth place all-time.
- Brooke Pehrson's 17 kills is a new season-high for the freshman. She hit over .400 for the ninth time this season, finishing the match hitting .452.
- This was the first time since Nov. 21, 2014 that the Bengals have defeated Northern Arizona.
