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POCATELLO, Idaho – Volleyball is midway through Big Sky Conference play as the teams now switch home courts in the second round of meetings this season. Idaho State hosts Southern Utah and Northern Arizona at 7 p.m. on Thursday and Saturday.
Fans can gain free admission to Thursday's game by bringing five or more non-perishable food items for World Food Bank Week (per fan).
Saturday's match is Kid's Day with all kids in the eighth grade or lower receiving free admission. It will also be a camper reunion, with all participants of ISU volleyball camps encouraged to return and welcome the Bengals onto the court.
Last Time Out
Idaho State went 1-1 last week with its second conference loss in a match against Sacramento State and a five-set victory over Portland State.
Abby Garrity and Nicole Lee both had strong outputs with 28 and 24 kills respectively. Each had an assist while Garrity tallied an ace, 27 digs and a block assist. Lee added six digs and two block assists.
Taylor Meeks and Brooke Pehrson both had 16 kills and combined for 13 blocks. Meeks had the highest hitting percentage at .406 and Pehrson added three service aces at the line. Raegan Steiner chipped in with 13 kills and two block assists.
Chelsea Johnson filled the stat sheet again with six kills, 94 assists, three aces, 14 digs and five block assists. Haylie Keck led the team with 45 digs and five aces while Mahala Bradburn and Nikole Cook combined for 29 digs.
Where They Stand
Idaho State is one of four Big Sky teams with a 6-2 record in conference play. Weber State and Sacramento State, who both defeated ISU, also have six wins. Idaho, with losses to Idaho State and Weber State, is the other 6-2 team.
Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado and Montana each hold a 5-3 record in conference play, bringing seven teams within one game of each other. The top-six squads will advance to the Big Sky Conference Championship in November.
The Bengals are now 12-9 on the season. They have a 4-3 record at home with just one loss coming in conference play.
ISU averages 13.1 kills, 12.4 assists, 1.5 aces, 14.8 digs and 2.2 blocks per set.
Scouting Southern Utah
Southern Utah enters play with a 2-18 overall record with a 1-7 mark in Big Sky play. The Thunderbirds dropped four-set matches to Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado last week. Their lone conference win came against Portland State on the road.
Janet Kalaniuvalu has been the catalyst on offense for Southern Utah. She has 297 kills this season with 3.91 kills per set and a .178 attacking percentage. She is also a factor at the line (15 aces) and on defense with 178 digs and 35 blocks.
Emma Mangum is the only other SUU player with triple-digit kills with 156. She is second on the team in total blocks with 50, trailing Miranda Canez with 58.
Alexis Averett has 655 assists this season and is tied for the team lead in service aces with 17. Miahna Waters leads the team in digs with 351 and has 55 assists and 13 aces.
SUU collects 11.1 kills, 10.4 assists, 1.2 aces, 14.6 digs and 1.9 blocks per set.
Pete Hoyer leads the Thunderbirds and carries a 179-117 overall record.
The Bengals are 14-3 against the Thunderbirds with a perfect 8-0 record at home. Idaho State swept the T-birds in the first matchup on Sept. 22. It was the second win during a five-game winning streak for ISU.
Scouting Northern Arizona
Northern Arizona is 13-8 with a 5-3 record in conference play. The Lumberjacks defeated Southern Utah 3-1 and lost to Northern Colorado 3-2 last week. The team is 3-1 in its last four matches.
Kaylie Jorgenson and Heaven Harris have combined for 479 kills this season with Jorgenson averaging 3.06 kills per set. Jorgenson also has 26 service aces, 18 assists, 338 digs and 49 blocks this season.
NAU's offense features two setters in Aubrea Bandfield and Abby Stomp. Both have over 400 assists this season with Stomp collecting 5.59 per game.
The defense has stifled opposing offenses all season long, holding opponents to a collective .171 hitting percentage. That is largely thanks to NAU's 191 blocks. Brittni Dorsey and Bandfield lead the team with 71 and 85 blocks respectively.
The Lumberjacks lead the conference in several categories including digs per set, opponent hitting percentage, assists, digs, kills and attacks. They produce 12.7 kills, 12.0 assists, 1.4 aces, 17.9 digs and 2.2 blocks per set.
Idaho State is looking for its 40th win in program history over Northern Arizona. The Bengals are 39-35 against the Lumberjacks with a 23-12 record in Reed Gym.
These two teams clashed in a thrilling conference opener with ISU emerging victorious in five sets. The first set went to the Bengals 30-28 and ISU won the fifth 15-8.
