OGDEN, Utah – Idaho State (14-12, 8-5 BSC) delivered Weber State (13-9, 8-5 BSC) its first five-set loss (27-25, 19-25, 25-19, 23-25, 15-10) of the season in a crucial rematch Tuesday night. The Bengals evened the 2018 series record with the Wildcats and improved to 8-5 in Big Sky Conference play.
"This was a great match in the Big Sky," said Head Coach Rick Reynolds. "I am really proud of our effort tonight."
Idaho State executed at a high level on both sides of the net with a .300-plus hitting percentage for the second consecutive game and 14 blocks. Eight Bengals recorded a kill and four ISU attackers reached double-digit counts.
Nicole Lee paved the way with 17 kills on 35 attempts for a .371 hitting percentage. Abby Garrity was close behind with 15 kills on 49 attacks (.286) and recorded just one attacking error. She also added 10 digs and a block in her seventh double-double of the season.
Brooke Pehrson hit at an even .500 clip with 13 kills and tallied four blocks, three digs and an ace. Taylor Meeks punished the ball on the block and the attack with 10 kills and seven blocks.
Chelsea Johnson reached 60 assists for the third time this season in her fifth double-double. She nearly had a triple-double with 10 digs and eight blocks as she distributed the ball to all corners of the court.
"I thought we were able to spread the ball out offensively," Reynolds said. "Chelsea really distributed it well. Nicole Lee had a great match moving the ball around into open space. Brooke had some really big swings late in the match."
Haylie Keck posted 23 digs, four assists and an ace and Mahala Bradburn collected 14 digs and the second kill of her career. Raegan Steiner also had a strong effort with eight kills on 20 attacks.
Weber State had more kills, but Idaho State was much more efficient with 67 kills on 15 fewer attacks. The Bengals hit .323 as a team and stifled the Wildcats at the net with 14 blocks and 69 digs. Weber State hit at a .251 clip and had 70 digs and nine blocks. The Wildcats were challenging at the service line with nine aces to ISU's seven.
"I thought both teams played the chess match really well tonight," Reynolds said. "There were moments our serve and block were dictating the match. There were times we were on our heels because of their serve and offense. Our serve and receive was much more effective as the match wore on."
The Wildcats gained an early advantage with a five-point streak that gave them a 12-6 lead in the first. The Bengals slowly chipped away at the lead with an attack that did not surrender an error for the remainder of the set.
The Bengals took a timeout down 22-18 before taking four of the next five points. Still, WSU held set point at 24-22. Meeks pulled ISU within one and caused WSU to take its final timeout with a one-point lead at 24-23.
The Bengals tied the game at 24-all and then served set point, which was denied by the Wildcats. Weber State committed two attacking errors to seal a 27-25 win for Idaho State. The Bengals ended the first set on a 9-3 run.
The teams traded serves several times in the second set and were tied at 13-13 when Weber State scored seven-consecutive points. The Bengals were unable to regain traction in the set and fell 25-19.
The Idaho State block and serve ignited a third set win for the Bengals. ISU had five block assists and four of their seven aces in the 1-1 tiebreaker. ISU trailed 6-4 in the early stages but surged ahead on a 15-4 run. The Bengals put the Wildcats on their heels with a 25-19 win.
The Bengals looked primed to take the match in the fourth as back-to-back kills by Meeks put ISU up 14-11. Weber State called a timeout and promptly took the lead on a five-point streak. The Bengals tied the game five times after but were never able to regain the advantage and fell 25-23.
The fifth set was all Idaho State as they cruised to a 15-10 win in the abbreviated set. Garrity put herself at the service line with a kill and guided the Bengals to an 8-3 lead. Weber State attempted to claw back from a six-point deficit at 12-6 and was able to cut the lead to three, but kills by Bradburn and Alexis Thompson-Smith cliched the victory for Idaho State.
The Bengals are now squarely in the middle of the Big Sky Conference Tournament seeding. They wrap up their four-game road stand with a match against Northern Colorado Saturday night.
