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Butler Box Score PDF
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Four players finished with double-doubles for the Bengals, but it was not enough to dismantle Gonzaga as the Bulldogs defeated Idaho State in four sets, 25-22, 20-25, 25-22 and 32-30. With the loss, the Bengals drop to 0-3 on the season for the first time since 2008.
"I'm proud of our heart and fight," Head Coach
Rick Reynolds said. "I thought the team battled. We fought for every point, and at the end of the day Gonzaga was just a couple of points better. Hats off to Gonzaga's program and coaching staff."
Redshirt junior middle blocker
Marissa Todd came up big for the Bengals with a career night, finishing with career-highs in kills (21), attempts (55) and digs (13). Sophomore outside hitter
Abby Jensen continued her strong play, adding 19 kills and 13 digs, while sophomore outside hitter
Chloe Hirst added a career-high 19 kills to go along with 14 digs. Senior
Hayley Farrer was solid once again for the Bengals with 54 assists, 15 digs and four blocks and freshman outside hitter
Haylie Keck had an outstanding defensive effort with 33 digs, four shy of the four-set single match record of 37.
"We had to make a lineup adjustment and Todd stepped up," Reynolds said. "I'm really proud of her stepping up for the team and helping us do what we needed to do to be effective.
Keck has already proven that she is one of the best passers in the gym. To see her perform at this level the first weekend of her freshman season, I'm definitely excited. I'm looking forward to seeing her grow and become a student of the game. I'm excited to see her continue to improve."
In the first set, the Bengals raced out to a 9-3 lead behind six-straight kills behind five different Bengals. Gonzaga (3-0) responded, putting together its own 9-3 run to tie the set at 13-all. The Bulldogs extended their lead to four, 19-15, and never allowed ISU to regain the lead. GU took the first set 25-22 and the early 1-0 match lead.
In the second, Idaho State (0-3) hit .324 for 16 total kills with just five errors, but it was Gonzaga that took the early lead 6-3. The Bengals then put together an 8-3 run, fueled again by the offensive efficiency of Jensen and Todd who each registered two kills during the run. The Bulldogs could not close the gap and a final kill from Hirst gave ISU the 25-20 second set win.
Coming out of the break, the Bengals cooled off offensively, hitting just .174 to GU's .239. However, ISU kept the Bulldogs within striking distance and tied the set 12-all following a kill from Jensen. Two-straight GU kills and an ISU error gave the Bulldogs a 15-12 edge, but two GU errors and a kill from Farrer tied up the set once more at 15 apiece. The Bulldogs then put together a 5-1 run capitalizing on three ISU errors for a four-point advantage, and the Bengals were unable to close the gap. GU went on to win the third set 25-22 for a 2-1 match lead.
The fourth set was a battle from the first serve as neither team led by more than two points. A kill from Todd late in the set tied the score at 22-all, and a subsequent GU error gave the Bengals a 23-22 edge. However, GU claimed the next two points for the 24-23 advantage and a chance for the match point. The Bulldogs were unable to capitalize following an attacking error, but a kill from GU's Emmy Allen once again gave the Bulldogs a chance for the win.
Two straight kills from Todd put the Bengals up one, 26-25, but once again the Bulldogs responded. This back-and-forth play continued as each team had several options to win the set. However, Gonzaga was able to put together three straight points off a kill and two ISU attacking errors to claim the fourth set 32-30 and win the match 3-1.
"I think in the measurables, it's going to come down to that they blocked a little better than we did," Reynolds said. "It created a few more errors for us in transition and serve receive from a hitting perspective. I thought we served well and dug well, but we need to make sure when we have the opportunities that we terminate."
Vs. Butler
In the first match, the Bengals fell to Butler in four sets, 25-23, 25-19, 18-25 and 25-22. Three players registered double-digit kills led by Jensen with a team-high 20 off a .349 hitting percentage, while Farrer registered a double-double with 43 assists and a team-high 22 digs.
In the first set, the Bengals kept it close throughout as neither team led or trailed by more than three points. A kill from Butler's Anna Logan tied the set up 21-all, and the Bulldogs finished on a 4-2 run to claim the first set 25-23.
In the second, ISU struggled to connect at the net, registering just 12 kills off 35 attempts with seven errors for a .143 hitting percentage. Tied at 8-all, the Bulldogs went on a 7-3 run to gain a four-point advantage that ISU could not overcome. Butler went on to finish the set 25-19 to take a 2-0 advantage heading into the break.
In the third set, the Bengals were efficient at the net with 16 kills off 31 attempts and just three errors for a .419 hitting percentage. ISU was the first to score, capitalizing on a Butler attacking error for the 1-0 early lead. The Bengals held the advantage throughout and extended their lead to as many as five points, 16-11, following three straight kills, one from Hirst and two straight from Jensen. Idaho State continued to attack and gained an eight-point advantage, 24-16, following a service ace from Todd. A final kill from Hirst sealed the third-set victory 25-18.
In the fourth set, the Bengals fell behind 4-1 early following two Butler kills and two ISU errors, one on a bad set and another on a Butler service ace, and the Bengals struggled to close the gap. Midway through the fourth, ISU put together three-straight kills to tie the set 12-all, but Butler responded with five straight points for the 17-12 advantage. The Bengals could not overcome the deficit and fell 25-22 in the fourth, giving Butler the 3-1 match win.
"I think the team understands that as we are growing and that there are going to be growing pains," Reynolds said. "They are not measured by 0-3, they are measured by the growth they continue to see every day."
