Women's Volleyball | 8/29/2016 3:33:00 PM
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POCATELLO, Idaho – The Idaho State volleyball hits the road to face Utah Valley Aug. 30 at 6 p.m. in Orem, Utah. Last season, ISU swept the Wolverines in straight sets in Pocatello. The Bengals are in search of their first win after dropping three-straight at the Utah Classic Aug. 26 and 27 to open their season.
ABOUT UTAH VALLEY
The Wolverines are in search for their first win after starting 0-3 in their first weekend of play. Utah Valley has yet to win a set this season after losing 0-3 to #13 BYU, Cal Poly and Rice.
Over the course of the first three matches, UVU is averaging 10.2 kills per set with a .069 hitting percentage off 9.2 assists per match. Defensively, the Wolverines average 12 digs per set and 3.1 blocks per set.
Utah Valley returns three starters plus a libero from last season's squad that finished 14-14 overall with a 9-5 mark in the WAC, good for a third-place tie.
Utah Valley is led by Head Coach Sam Atoa who is in his 18th season with the Wolverines and carries a 359-194 overall record.
MEDIA
A live stream and live stats will be available for fans to watch and track the Bengals as they take on the Wolverines on Aug. 30 in Orem, Utah.
For the live stream, click
here.
For live stats, click
here.
LAST MATCH: BENGALS POST NEAR-HISTORIC DEFENSIVE EFFORT IN 4-SET LOSS TO GONZAGA
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."
