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POCATELLO, Idaho – With the Big Sky Conference Tournament just a month away, the playoff picture is beginning to take shape as eight teams joust for seeding. Idaho State will look to move up the Big Sky ladder as the team travels to Weber State on short rest Tuesday night.
The Bengals played back-to-back matches last Thursday and Friday and will face the Wildcats on three days rest without considering travel time. First serve in the second contest between ISU and WSU is set for 7 p.m. in Ogden, Utah.
Idaho State hopes to settle the score on the road. The Wildcats snapped a five-game winning streak for the Bengals earlier this season when they handed ISU its first conference loss Oct. 2. ISU is looking for win number 50 against WSU with the 49-41 advantage in the series. The Wildcats have defended their home court with a 21-19 record when hosting ISU.
Last Time Out
The Bengals were swept by Idaho on the road, but were able to snap their three-game skid with a sweep of Eastern Washington the following night. The Bengals were suppressed by the Vandals before doing a 180 and stifling the Eagles.
Where They Stand
Just one game separates Idaho State and Weber State in the conference standings. ISU currently sits sixth in the Big Sky with a 7-5 record and is 13-12 overall. Weber State is tied for fourth with Northern Colorado at 8-4. The Wildcats are 13-8 overall.
Idaho State
Three players have now cleared 200 kills this season with
Abby Garrity clearing 350 last week and
Nicole Lee and
Brooke Pehrson heading for 250. Garrity is also one dig away from 200.
Six Bengals average at least one kill per set with
Chelsea Johnson orchestrating the offense. The sophomore setter ranks No. 10 in total assists with 1,049, tallying an assist on 85.8 percent of ISU's kills.
No other Idaho State player had eclipsed 500 digs in a season twice in her career before
Haylie Keck did so last season. Last week she surpassed the mark once again, giving her the top three spots on ISU's single-season digs records. The junior has 521 in 2018 as she chases herself for the all-time record (599) and looks to become the first to 600.
Idaho State produces 12.9 kills, 12.3 assists, 14.9 digs, 2.2 blocks and 1.4 aces per set. On paper, ISU appears to favor short battles with an 8-4 record in three-set matches. Idaho State is 4-3 when playing five sets and just 1-5 in four-set appearances.
The Bengals have also fared much better when winning the first set. They are 10-1 with a win in the first and 3-11 with a loss in the opening frame. ISU has yet to lose a set when recording a higher hitting percentage.
Scouting Weber State
The Wildcats boast a 13-8 overall record and hold an 8-4 mark in conference play. Last week, Weber State swept Eastern Washington and fell to Idaho in three sets.
Andrea Hale and Megan Gneiting set the tone for WSU's offense with both hovering around 250 kills this season. Both players are also strong defenders with about two digs per set. Hale averages 3.51 kills per set and Gneiting is one of two players with a block or more per set.
Hannah Hill has hit at a .439 clip this season and holds the team lead in blocks with 97. Ashlyn Power is tallying 10.90 assists per set and Helena Khouri and Rylin Roberts lead the team with 244 and 257 digs respectively.
The Wildcats produce 12.7 kills, 11.9 assists, 15.9 digs, 2.6 blocks and 1.5 aces per set. They have the opposite trend in game length, posting better records the longer the match is played. Weber State is 4-5 in three sets, 5-3 in four sets and 4-0 in five-set matches this season.
Jeremiah Larsen is in his fourth season at the head of Weber State's program. He has compiled a 42-63 record with the Wildcats so far.
